Between 31st July 2006 and 30th July 2008 everyone working as a dental nurse must register with the GDC, (with the exception of trainee dental nurses who must be enrolled on a course that leads to a qualification approved by the GDC)
Approved Qualifications
The following qualifications will be accepted during the period July 2006-June 2008:
- National Certificate (NEBDN or NEBDSA)
- S/NVQ Level 3 Oral Healthcare: Dental Nursing
- Dental Hospital Certificate of Proficiency (Dental Nursing or Dental Assisting)
- BTEC Certificate in Science (Dental Assisting or Dental Nursing)
- Full SCOTVEC Certificate (Dental Assisting or Dental Nursing)
- Royal Navy - Part III DSA Training (Certified)
- Army - Class 2 Dental Clerk Assistant Trade Training
- RAF - DSA Training and Trade Ability Test B
- DDA - Basic Dental Nurse Training and IDPS1
When applying for registration it will be essential to provide a copy of your qualification certificate.
From 31st July 2008 the following qualifications will be accepted;
- National Certificate for Dental Nurses (NEBDN)
- S/NVQ Level 3 Oral Healthcare: Dental Nursing (City & Guilds)
- Certificate of Proficiency in Dental Nursing (awarded by Dental Hospitals)
- Certificate of Higher Education in Dental Nursing (awarded by The University of Portsmouth)
Alternative Routes to Registration
(During the Interim Period 31st July 2006-30th July 2008)
- Voluntary National Register (VNR) Interim Certificate of Registration
If you were on the VNR on 31st December 2005 you will have been awarded this certificate.
Grand-parenting
Dental nurses who hold none of the above qualifications can apply for registration if they can provide evidence that they have 4 years full-time chairside experience in the last 8 years, or part time equivalent.
Use the table below to calculate whether you meet the experience requirement. You can include the following when calculating the time you have worked, provided that you remained employed throughout this time:
- Maternity leave
- Sickness absence
- Holiday
- Days or session spent on Continuing Professional Development
Dental Nurse Transition Table
Calculating Eligibility from Number of Days of Experience
| Number of Years Employed | Days worked per week | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 year | 52 | 104 | 156 | 208 |
| 2 years | 104 | 208 | 312 | 416 |
| 3 years | 156 | 312 | 468 | 624 |
| 4 years | 208 | 416 | 624 | 832 |
| 5 years | 260 | 520 | 780 | 1040 |
| 6 years | 312 | 624 | 936 | 1248 |
| 7 years | 364 | 728 | 1092 | 1456 |
| 8 years | 416 | 832 | 1248 | 1664 |
| 9 years | 468 | 936 | 1404 | 1872 |
| 10 years | 520 | 1040 | 1560 | 2080 |
If your total number of days is less than 500 days, then you do not currently have enough experience to qualify for registration.
If your total number of hours is between 500 and 1000 days you will have between 2 and 4 years experience and may be able to register under one of the access to registration routes.
If your total number of days is over 1000 days, then you have enough experience to qualify for registration as a dental nurse in the first two years of registration. Application forms are available from the GDC.
If you are short of the required 1000 days, you may be able to make up this time during the two year transitional period.
You will need to have your experience verified by a current GDC registrant
Please note this route is open only for a two-year period 31st July 2006 – 30th July 2008.
Access to Registration Routes
If a dental nurse has between two and four years experience in the past eight years (between 500 and 1000 days), they could qualify for registration through ART, Access to Registration Training. This requires a minimum of two years’ experience (500 days) plus satisfactory proof of competence or completion of short modules of training in:
- Cross infection control
- CPR and medical emergencies
- Health & Safety
- Ionising Radiation
- Working with Dentists and Patients
- Continuing Professional Development
Satisfactory proof of competence requires a current GDC registrant to certify that you are competent in the above areas. If you, or the certifying registrant, feel that you need further training in any of these areas, you can ‘top-up’ your experience with DNART (Dental Nurse Access to Registration Training). DNART is available on CD-ROM, please contact the Deanery office if you require a DNART CD-ROM.
An exam type assessment ARA, Access to Registration Assessment is also available from NEBDN: contact NEBDN for your nearest centre offering the ARA.
National Examining Board for Dental Nurses (NEBDN)
Tel: 01253 778417
E-mail: info@nebdn.org.uk
After July 2008, only registered dental nurses will be able to use the title ‘dental nurse’. The GDC also decided to legally protect the title ‘dental surgery assistant’ This title will only be available to people registered with the GDC. The GDC state that this is not because they think that dental nurses will want to be known as DSAs – they know that isn’t the case, and they will continue to use the title ‘dental nurse’ – this action was taken to stop the title DSA being used by anyone who decides for some reason not to register.