Your Frequently Asked Questions
GDC. How can dentists register their dental nurses with the GDC? When your trainee dental nurse is qualified [having successfully passed the NEBDN National Certificate Examination, or having another qualification - for further information look at the GDC website].
Where do we teach? Bracknell, Thatcham and Northampton.
GDC. When did the Law change, making is a requirement that qualified dental nurses are registered with the GDC? From 31.7.08. From that date, as a trainee dental nurse you must be on a Dental Nursing Course to work [clinical work assisting with treatment] in a dental surgery. if you are not on a Dental Nursing Course or registered onto the next available local Dental Nursing Course, the GDC state that you cannot work within a dental surgery. Additionally, you may only call yourself a dental nurse if you are qualified/registered with the GDC. All unqualified persons are called trainee dental nurses. For further information look on the GDC website.
What is the difference between a Dental Surgery Assistant and a Dental Nurse?
DSA is the old name. The British Association of Dental Nurses [BADN] and the National Examining Board for Dental Nurses [NEBDN] have changed their names [to “Dental Nurses”]. Now persons assisting the dentist are called "dental nurses" if they are registered with the GDC, or "trainee dental nurses" if they are not qualified and therefore cannot yet register with the GDC.
What qualifications do I need to study to become a qualified dental nurse and then to be able to apply to the GDC to become registered?
From 31.7.08, you will either have to be on a DN Course or qualified [or "grannied"] and registered with the General Dental Council [see the GDC website link on our link page]. The types of qualifications which the GDC will accept are listed on the GDC website. From 31.7.08 only persons on the GDC register will be able to use the title “dental nurse”. Persons who are training towards being qualified will be known as trainee dental nurses. The GDC will take action against anyone calling themselves a DN if they are not qualified and registered with the GDC.
Do Registered Dental Nurses have to take out Professional Indemnity Insurance? Yes. this is a requirement of the GDC. PII is very easy for dental nurses to organise - simply join the British Association of Dental Nurses as a student member. When you qualify and you register with the GDC, Professional Indemnity Insurance is automatically included with Full Membership of the BADN.
What important things should be looked for when choosing a dental nursing course? Always ask what teaching qualifications the Tutors have. This is obviously very important as also it is to look at the number of years that the Tutors have been teaching. Next, check to make sure that the Tutors are NEBDN Examiners. It is obviously best for you if they are, as they will know exactly what the NEBDN requires, and they will be able to guide you in the right direction. Then look to see if the Tutors are registered with the GDC - in other words, are they working within the Dental Profession. Lastly, look to see how long the course is. If it is a year long, we think this is just about right. A year give you enough time to take everything on board. Longer than this and things tend to drag on and on. Please realise that an NVQ qualification also requires that an Examination be taken.
What qualifications do I need to get onto our NEBDN Dental Nursing Course?
Unlike some other NEBDN Courses, we do not require any qualifications. We teach the NEBDN National Certificate Course leading to the National Examining Board for Dental Nurses [NEBDN] National Certificate Examination. This qualification allows persons to apply to the GDC to become registered. Students must be currently employed as trainee dental nurses [full or part-time] or be experienced.
What qualifications do you need to take the NEBDN National Certificate in Dental Nursing Examination?
None. The NEBDN has no academic barriers to entry. The GDC specifies what has to be taught to gain the NEBDN qualification.
How many years do I have to have been a trainee dental nurse to take your Dental Nursing Course and sit the NEBDN National Certificate in Dental Nursing Examination?
Now, anyone working within a dental surgery must be on a DN Course. The NEBDN will allow trainee dental nurses to sit the examination after they have completed a Dental Nursing Course. However, they will only award the full NEBDN Certificate in Dental Nursing qualification and the badge and belt when the candidate has completed 24 months full-time chairside work as a dental nurse. After this 24 months has been completed, you can apply to the GDC to be registered.
How many years does the GDC “granny clause” specify? [A granny clause is the number of years that a dental nurse has been working in the profession which exempt the dental nurse from the requirement to become qualified.]
Up to 31.7.2008, the GDC registered dental nurses who could prove they had worked for 4 years out of the last 8 [full/time] as a dental nurse. However, this scheme has now closed down. So anyone now wanting to work in a dental surgery will have to be on a course, or registered with the GDC. Any queries here should be directed to the GDC website.
Who can take the post-qualification courses [which we teach] and examinations?
All GDC registered dental nurses can take the NEBDN Oral Health Education [OHE], NEBDN Dental Sedation Nursing and NEBDN Dental Radiography Courses and then go on to take the NEBDN Examinations. However our courses for Oral Health Educators and Dental Practice Management [an Introduction] are also open to all members of the Oral Healthcare Team, so long as they are working in dental practices.
There are other qualifications that a GDC registered DN can take and these are listed on the NEBDN website [please look on our links page.]
Can I take your Courses if I am not living in Berkshire?
Reading, Berkshire, Bracknell, Berkshire, Thatcham, Berkshire, is where we offer Courses. We have taught trainee dental nurses from Wiltshire [Wilts] Oxfordshire [Oxon] Buckinghamshire [Bucks] Middlesex, London, Kent, Surrey, Hampshire [Hants] and Berkshire [Berks]. You are all welcome. if you live further afield, you are welcome as well!