Providing dental care is a team responsibility, and each member of the dental team has a vital role to play in the promotion and maintenance of dental health.
You could train to be a dentist and run a high street practice, work as a dental hygienist to help prevent dental disease or train as a dental nurse and help the team deliver treatment and advice. Alternatively, you could train as a dental technician and make dentures, crowns, bridges and retainers for patients.
The roles in the dental team include:
Whatever your role, you’ll be making a big contribution to the oral health of the nation. In recent years, oral health has improved as more of us are looking after our teeth better.
The skills of the dental team, coupled with advances in dentistry, mean that a visit to the dentist is seen as a positive way to support health and wellbeing. There are still high levels of oral diseases to address, as well as maintaining and improving oral and general health. Most dental diseases are preventable, so it is important that all members of the dental team are skilled and qualified.
Some skills and qualities that are required by every member of the dental team include:
- a willingness to learn
- good manual dexterity
- an eye for detail
- excellent people skills so you can deal with a broad range of people
- an ability to offer advice and educate others
- good team working