Staff in a Dental Practice

Dental Receptionist

The dental receptionist is the first contact in the surgery, she greets patients, answers the phone, makes appointments and receives and records payment for treatment and files the record cards. She may also assist with the administration of NHS claims, communicating with laboratories, maintenance personnel and suppliers with the practice manager.

It is important to have a good relationship with your receptionist because you will have to have an agreement between you about the length of appointment times you will need and the provision for emergency appointments. 

You should also know how to do all of these tasks. Each practice has a different protocol, you must know how to make appointments, how to receive (and record) payments for treatment and how to retrieve the record cards from the filing system.

Dental Nurse

Your relationship with your dental nurse is very important factor in deciding whether you will have a pleasant or unpleasant working environment.  You must have a nurse whenever you are working (to provide a chaperon and a responsible second person in case of medical collapse).

It is the nurse's responsibility to:

• Disinfect any contaminated surfaces between patients.
• Wash and sterilize the equipment.
• Assist you at chair-side, by mixing cements or aspirating.

Sometimes the period of 'turn-around' between patients will be very fast paced so it may be a good idea to assist your nurse by placing all used equipment in the cleaning and sterilization area. 

It is a good idea to have a discussion with your dental nurse and inform her of what you expect from her. Make sure your nurse knows that she must not leave you alone in the surgery with a patient (for their protection and yours). But at the same time, do not treat a nurse like a servant: this will only lead to resentment. Do not say, "Get….." or "Do …". It is better to say, "Could you get…" or, " Let's do…." 
And remember, dental nurses (like all of us) respond well to positive encouragement. If your nurse has done something well complement her on her performance If your nurse is doing something you do not like it is best to talk to her in private. Be direct and specific, tell her exactly what is bothering you and suggest exactly how you would like the task done.

Principal
The owner of the practice has the overall responsibility of the practice.  The principal is in charge of equipment, supplies and staff. You must discuss any problem you have with the principal or practice manager. If you are unsure about any aspect of patient care you should immediately ask  for advice. 

Hygienist
A hygienist performs periodontal treatments and gives oral hygiene advice to patients. A patient must be seen by a dentist before the hygienist can begin treatment. The dentist must 'prescribe' treatment i.e. write down the treatment plan for the hygienist. 

There are various financial arrangements relating to hygienists. In some practices, each dentist pays a percentage of the hygienist's salary and then uses her to carry out scaling and polishing and root planning on their patients. Other practices have other arrangements.

Hygienists can give infiltration, local anaesthetic injections and some can give IDBs. 
Hygienists can also place fissure sealants.

Therapist
Therapists have a greater range of skills than hygienists; they can also do simple fillings, in addition to the treatments offered by the hygienist. You are unlikely to work in a practice with a therapist as most work in the community dental service.