How Do I Become a Dental Nurse Trainee?

Dental nurse trainees are students who are practicing how to become dental nurses — healthcare workers who assist dentists with a wide variety of oral-care procedures. These individuals prepare instruments for use during treatment procedures, record medical information, and make sure that patients are comfortable. A person who would like to become a dental nurse trainee must complete his or her chosen school’s entry requirements, which include filling out an admissions form, getting immunized, and completing an interview and exams.

The first step necessary to become a dental nurse trainee is to complete your college’s enrollment application. You must be prepared to include personal information such as your address as well as your employment history. In addition, schools ask that you provide your high school diploma or the equivalent certification, and they might want to see an official list of all high school courses completed. An institution’s admissions team also will demand to see scores from your most recent standardized tests. Some programs actually require that you are a certain age before you can begin training.

A person who wishes to enter this industry must take necessary medical precautions as well. Your training program will require you to become vaccinated against communicable diseases such as hepatitis B, which is inflammation of the liver due to a virus. You also need to become immunized against tuberculosis, a bacterial infection that affects the lungs. Proof of having obtained these medications is necessary because a person who seeks to become a dental nurse trainee must interact with a wide variety of patients, some of whom carry these illnesses.

Completing an interview additionally is important to begin studying in this field. Your school’s admissions team likely will want to meet with you to explain the requirements of the training curriculum along with its benefits. You need to share with these professionals why you are interested in entering a program to become a dental nurse trainee and what your long-term career aspirations are. The college uses this experience to determine if you are a good fit for the school.

You need to be prepared to study a wide variety of tooth-related topics to excel in this occupation. When you become a dental nurse trainee, classes cover the anatomy of teeth as well as the different dental materials used to restore them. Studying infection control techniques also is critical to prevent the transmission of diseases in the dental office. Another class will teach you how to capture dental radiographs, which dentists use to pinpoint oral problems that they otherwise cannot detect.

Completing an internship is a necessary part of becoming a trainee in this career area as well. Your dental nurse educational program will require you to practice taking care of patients and completing clinical and laboratory assignments in an actual dental office. You should hone your skills with listening to instruction from superiors and working in a fast-paced environment. The office might be willing to hire you as a permanent dental nurse after you complete your dental nurse trainee program, or it could recommend you to other practices that are hiring. In addition, you can pursue industry certification by passing a board exam, which will increase your employment opportunities in this field.