Apprentice Dental Nurse - Wantage

The Apprenticeship in Dental Nursing

The apprenticeship in dental nursing is an 18-month government funded course by City & Guilds, a Level 3 Extended Diploma. Alongside your learning, your job role within the practice will entail assisting dentists, sterilising and preparing equipment, reception duties, and supporting patient experience.

At Rodericks Dental Partners, you’ll be part of a clinically led organisation where learning, teamwork, and career development are central to everything we do. While completing your apprenticeship, you'll gain real responsibility from day one. Your role could include:

• Supporting dentists and specialists in a patient-focused setting
• Assisting with surgery setup, equipment checks, and sterilisation
• Ensuring documentation and patient records are completed correctly
• Promoting excellent standards of care aligned with Rodericks values
• Following practice policies, safeguarding, and compliance guidelines

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

Course Contents

Course contents include identifying relevant anatomy, evaluating health risks of drug use, assessing patient anxiety, undertaking orthodontic assessment, obtaining valid consent, recording patient history and oral health assessments, processing dental radiographs, managing patient anxiety, providing chairside support, preparing and handling dental materials, implementing decontamination and infection control procedures, preparing and maintaining the clinical environment, identifying and managing medical emergencies, providing preventive advice and instruction, supporting the management of patients with acute oral conditions, adopting an evidence-based approach, communicating effectively and sensitively, maintaining patient records, communicating with care and compassion, giving feedback effectively, respecting professional roles, demonstrating effective team working, contributing to patient care, managing and delegating work, taking a patient-centred approach, raising concerns, complying with safety systems, acting in accordance with guidelines, acting within legal frameworks, acting with integrity, demonstrating personal accountability, working in partnership, leading and taking responsibility, supporting patient access to oral healthcare, treating patients with dignity and respect, advocating for patient needs, speaking up to protect others from harm, evaluating prevention effectiveness, proactively addressing discrimination, evaluating health promotion, evaluating environmental impacts of treatment methods, contributing to healthcare communities, evaluating an evidence base, utilising feedback for professional development, demonstrating personal development planning, evaluating new techniques and technologies, assessing capabilities and limitations, recognising and managing personal assumptions and biases, recognising and managing contextual factors, demonstrating professional responsibility, developing and maintaining professional knowledge, demonstrating engagement with wellbeing systems, demonstrating continuous improvement activities, recognising and managing compromised wellbeing, and effectively managing time and resources.