Dental Nurse
Dental nurses are a special type of medical professional that provide assistance and perform certain tasks in dental practices. They can fulfill a variety of roles in a dental office or clinic. Dental nurses also assist a number of members of the dental team.
One of the responsibilities of a dental nurse is to help the dentist with check-ups and routine procedures. Other jobs include the following:
- They assess the patient
- Clean teeth
- Maintain dental tools and equipment.
- Dental nurses may also directly assist a dentist, preparing tools, handing them surgery equipment or responding to questions and requests.
- Dental nurses with more advanced qualifications may also take dental molds or expose dental x-rays.
The Clerical Role of a Dental Nurse
Dental nurses may also fulfill a more clerical role. For example, they may serve at the front desk, taking phone calls, scheduling appointments, and processing payments. They may also file and manage paperwork. This practice is more common in small practices, where there are not resources to hire on full-time office support staff.
Dental nurses have different roles from other members of the dental team. They perform different responsibilities from dental assistants, dental technicians, dental therapists, and dental hygienists. Dental nurses may have a different title depending on what country they are in.