Higher Certificate Dental Nursing at Letterkenny Institute of Technology

A dental nurse works as part of a dental team in a variety of clinical and non-clinical settings. In Ireland Dental Nurses are mainly employed in General Dental Surgeries, Dental Hospitals, Health Service Executive Dental Clinics or Specialist Surgeries.

Dental Nurses are responsible for ensuring the Dentist or Oral Surgeon’s operating list runs smoothly during the course of a clinical session. This includes ensuring that all instrumentation is correct and has been thoroughly sterilised, all radiographs and case notes are prepared for the clinical session, necessary lab work/ results and supplies are available, the dental surgery/operating room is clean and equipment is in good working order and all general administrative and office work is up-to-date. Dental nurses are also involved in assisting with suction during dental procedures, for example, cleaning, scaling and polishing of teeth and offering emotional support to patients with an anxiety towards dental treatment. They need to have good organisational skills and have the ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.

Career Pathways

The main employers are:

• Dental Surgeries
• Dental Hospital
• Health Service Executive

Graduate Careers

Graduate careers typically include:

• Dental Nurse