The Student Room Group

Dental Nursing

Welcome to TSR's Dental Nursing thread. This is a dedicated space to discuss:

Apprenticeships, degrees and training courses to become a dental nurse

Dental nursing exams

Dental nursing career pathways and progression


Feel free to ask for help, advice and chat with other fellow dental nurses and those considering or have recently entered the profession.



Please remember the TSR rules:

Spoiler


Scroll to see replies

The apprenticeship route is good if you:

1) Don’t want to pay the money for the private route
2) Don’t mind not qualifying
3) Just doing it to talk about in your interviews
I'm thinking to do apprenticeship route and reapply next year.
Pros for doing private course:
- you can qualify much more quickly and earn a lot more after qualifying (up to 12 months with the private course compared to 15-18 months with the apprenticeship)
- you can locum after qualifying and have more control of your time
- you can work easily at uni

@DrSmile feel free to add more because my brain has blanked out now 😂
Also, the apprenticeship route is harder 😂 or so I’ve been tolddddd.
Original post by DrSmile
Also, the apprenticeship route is harder 😂 or so I’ve been tolddddd.

I’m on both and I’m on my first week of the apprenticeship. I have a million assignments already?!?! 😭
Original post by Chopinnocturne31
I’m on both and I’m on my first week of the apprenticeship. I have a million assignments already?!?! 😭

And I have my exam next week. Eurgh!
Original post by DrSmile
And I have my exam next week. Eurgh!

Yesssss you’ve got thissss. Good luckkkkk!!! Have you started revisin yet 😂
Why would you able able to earn more/locum after doing the private option, surely they are are the same qualification?
Original post by dejectedreject
Why would you able able to earn more/locum after doing the private option, surely they are are the same qualification?


You can but if you take one gap year, you wouldn’t qualify on the apprenticeship because you don’t have long enough. You can only locum and earn more once you qualify
Original post by Chopinnocturne31
Yesssss you’ve got thissss. Good luckkkkk!!! Have you started revisin yet 😂

I don’t like this sort of negativity 😂 I plan to start today. Got to go and get my retainers from the orthodontist
Original post by DrSmile
I don’t like this sort of negativity 😂 I plan to start today. Got to go and get my retainers from the orthodontist

You’ll be fineeee 😂
Original post by dejectedreject
Why would you able able to earn more/locum after doing the private option, surely they are are the same qualification?

Are you currently on a gap year?

They are the same qualification :smile:
Original post by DrSmile
Are you currently on a gap year?

They are the same qualification :smile:

I'm doing my A levels, but no offers so will take a gap year.
Original post by dejectedreject
I'm doing my A levels, but no offers so will take a gap year.

I feel like you should reevaluate on results day, see if you attain the grades, and make a decision on your plan then.

You need to devise one for what you’ll do if you don’t get the grades, what you’ll do if you do. etc. All scenarios :smile:
Hey guys, I'm a recent qualified dental nurse! i took a gap year sept 2019 - 2020 and did my NEBDN course (private dental nurse course) and started a course at UOLeic.
I applied for dentistry 2021 (rejected pre interview) and 2022 (rejected post interview). honestly, when i did DN i hated it bc i was in a super toxic work environment and i was 18/19 and fresh out of school. now im 20/21 and im in my 2nd year of uni doing something i quite enjoy but not as much as dentistry. id say do DN in your gap year and reapply to dent, start a uni course you like and apply even when youre in uni, i got so much more support from the uni im at.
Original post by Sam0919
Hey guys, I'm a recent qualified dental nurse! i took a gap year sept 2019 - 2020 and did my NEBDN course (private dental nurse course) and started a course at UOLeic.
I applied for dentistry 2021 (rejected pre interview) and 2022 (rejected post interview). honestly, when i did DN i hated it bc i was in a super toxic work environment and i was 18/19 and fresh out of school. now im 20/21 and im in my 2nd year of uni doing something i quite enjoy but not as much as dentistry. id say do DN in your gap year and reapply to dent, start a uni course you like and apply even when youre in uni, i got so much more support from the uni im at.

My written exam is next week 💀 was it hard?
Original post by Chopinnocturne31
I’m on both and I’m on my first week of the apprenticeship. I have a million assignments already?!?! 😭


how did you find your apprenticeship? ive spoken to 2 so far and they said that they couldnt take me on since i said i wouldnt be able to commit 18 months, only 15 if i get in next year
Original post by Sam0919
Hey guys, I'm a recent qualified dental nurse! i took a gap year sept 2019 - 2020 and did my NEBDN course (private dental nurse course) and started a course at UOLeic.
I applied for dentistry 2021 (rejected pre interview) and 2022 (rejected post interview). honestly, when i did DN i hated it bc i was in a super toxic work environment and i was 18/19 and fresh out of school. now im 20/21 and im in my 2nd year of uni doing something i quite enjoy but not as much as dentistry. id say do DN in your gap year and reapply to dent, start a uni course you like and apply even when youre in uni, i got so much more support from the uni im at.


So have you given up on dentistry? I was reading some dental admission pages and some don't allow you to apply if you are already doing a degree. Just a heads up for anyone hoping to do this.
Original post by Sam0919
Hey guys, I'm a recent qualified dental nurse! i took a gap year sept 2019 - 2020 and did my NEBDN course (private dental nurse course) and started a course at UOLeic.
I applied for dentistry 2021 (rejected pre interview) and 2022 (rejected post interview). honestly, when i did DN i hated it bc i was in a super toxic work environment and i was 18/19 and fresh out of school. now im 20/21 and im in my 2nd year of uni doing something i quite enjoy but not as much as dentistry. id say do DN in your gap year and reapply to dent, start a uni course you like and apply even when youre in uni, i got so much more support from the uni im at.

It’s not all bad. I guess it depends on person to person though and perhaps it was good for you to see the environment before immersing into it.
I love dental nursing but am strictly against these private courses, because they seem to be fast tracking everything leaving dental nurses knowing only 50% of what they should be aware of.

Quick Reply

Latest