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Unlocking Your Potential: 37 Compelling Reasons Why Dental Nursing Could Be Your Ideal Career Path

3 min read

Working as a dental nurse is unlike any other profession. It’s a job where the everyday can be fascinating, no two days are ever quite the same, and you’ll pick up some very particular habits along the way.

From spotting a perio smell at fifty paces to finding gloves in the washing machine, dental nurses share a set of experiences that only fellow nurses truly understand. So we asked our team of locum dental nurses to tell us the unmistakable signs that someone works in dentistry.

Whether you’re already a dental nurse and want a laugh of recognition, or you’re thinking about a career in dental nursing and wondering what it’s really like, here are 37 signs you’re a dental nurse. How many can you tick off?

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    Considering a career in dental nursing but unsure where to begin?

    A locum dental nurse at workLook no further than locum dental nursing, a fantastic starting point. Our team of locums has compiled 37 unmistakable signs that you’re a dental nurse:

    In the surgery

    1. Pus and sizable abscesses evoke genuine excitement in your professional life.
    2. Bad perio scent? You can detect it from miles away.
    3. The satisfaction of removing calculus, accompanied by the satisfying rattle down the suction tube, is unparalleled.
    4. Glove-wearing is your golden ticket to touching anything.
    5. Getting spat on? Just another day at the office.
    6. Phlegm hocking sounds send shivers down your spine, especially during filter clearing.
    7. Saving a patient’s tongue from the drill makes you feel like a superhero.
    8. You’ve mastered the art of sneezing silently and motionlessly.
    9. Overhead light head-bumps are part of your daily routine.
    10. A messy surgical doesn’t deter your lunch appetite.
    11. Decon tasks blindfolded? No problem.
    12. Running low on alginate is par for the course.

    Patients and the working day

    1. Patient: “Are you trying to drown me?” – the classic remark.
    2. Patient bites? Been there, done that.
    3. Emergency appointments can ruin a beautifully packed lunch.
    4. Forget to restock after raiding another surgery? Guilty.
    5. Mind-reading dentists for diagnoses? Just another skill.
    6. Dispelling misconceptions about your role—more than just a cleaner.
    7. July 31st’s arrival sends a shiver down your spine.
    8. July 1st? Dread sets in.

    Friends, family and dating

    1. Janet’s new mobile whitening business on Facebook stirs an unexpected level of irritation.
    2. Weekly inquiries from friends and family seeking dental advice have become routine.
    3. Your profession prompts strangers to share their dental histories, including Sue’s pricey crown down the road.
    4. Dating? Teeth inspection precedes any romantic consideration.
    5. Teeth inspection precedes any greeting or kiss.
    6. You diligently inspect your partner’s, children’s, and even your dog’s teeth weekly.
    7. Witnessing babies drink juice from bottles induces horror.
    8. Judging parents with juice in baby milk bottles? Absolutely.
    9. Your repertoire includes a perfected fake laugh for the endless dental jokes.
    10. Electric toothbrushes and floss: standard gifts for family.
    11. Sweets? Off-limits for your children.

    At home and beyond

    1. Your home kitchen gleams with clinical precision, complete with designated “contaminated” and “non-contaminated” areas.
    2. Surprise! Your washing machine yields gloves (and occasionally a phosphorus plate).
    3. Your toothpaste collection thrives thanks to work’s freebies.
    4. Toothpaste samples in every handbag? A given.
    5. Manicures are reserved for pre-holiday pampering.
    6. Your manicure is always flawless before a vacation.

    These telltale signs might just confirm your calling in dental nursing.

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