How to become a dental nurse
Official title: Dental nurses
Also called: Dental nurse, Dental assistant, Dental attendant, Dental auxiliary, Dental surgery nurse, Dental surgery assistant, Dental nurse-receptionist, Dental receptionist-nurse, Dental surgeon's assistant, Orthodontic chairside assistant
Dental nurses prepare patients for, and assist with, dental examinations, prepare and sterilise instruments and maintain case records.
Main tasks
- Prepares patient for examination
- Prepares and sterilises instruments and follows guidelines to maintain sterile conditions within the surgery
- Hands required equipment and medication to dentist during examination
- Assists with minor treatment, such as preparing materials for fillings
- Removes water and saliva from patient’s mouth during treatment
- Maintains records, processes and mounts x-ray films and undertakes reception duties
How to become one
Entry is most common with GCSEs/S grades. Training is available both Off and on-the-job. To become a registered dental nurse, entrants need to complete a course recognised by the General Dental Council.
Pay · Outlook
- Median full-time pay: £25,742 a year The middle half earn £23,380 to £28,935.
- About 60,100 people work in this job now, and about 65,800 are projected by 2035. (+9.6%)
Related jobs
- Nursing auxiliaries and assistants
- Ambulance staff (excluding paramedics)
- Houseparents and residential wardens
- Care workers and home carers
- Senior care workers
- Care escorts
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Questions people ask
How do I become a dental nurse?
Entry is most common with GCSEs/S grades. Training is available both Off and on-the-job. To become a registered dental nurse, entrants need to complete a course recognised by the General Dental Council.
How much does a dental nurse earn in the UK?
Median full-time pay is £25,742 a year (Office for National Statistics). The middle half earn £23,380 to £28,935.
Is a dental nurse a growing career in the UK?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 10% by 2035, from about 60,100 to about 65,800 people (Department for Education).
Do you need a degree to become a dental nurse?
Usually not. Only 21% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Sources
- Office for National Statistics: Annual Population Survey: employment by occupation (April 2025 to March 2026), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Office for National Statistics: SOC 2020 Volume 1: structure and descriptions (2026-08-27 edition), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Department for Education: Skills Imperative 2035: employment projections by occupation (2021 to 2035 (Warwick IER / Cambridge Econometrics)), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Office for National Statistics: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14 (2025 provisional), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
Updated 2026-10-03