How to expand your dental nursing career
Promotional FeaturesPosted by: Dental Design 9th May 2024
Dental Nurse Preetee Hylton, President-Elect of The British Association of Dental Nurses and dental nurse tutor, shares how she has managed burnout, turned adversity into inspiration and outlines how dental nurses can expand their careers.
Preetee Hylton: “I am a full time dental nurse in Chelsea, and I also teach dental nursing. I’m an advocate for other dental nurses, and I like to use my voice to help others.
How to expand your career:
Dental nurses can feel frustrated that there aren’t enough growth opportunities and they aren’t paid enough. I try to encourage nurses, and help them expand their careers. I encourage all dental nurses to gain other qualifications – I recommend going on courses to gain further post-registration qualifications. There are other pathways dental nurses can explore, and we have lots of skills that can be expanded on. I tend to tell my trainee dental nurses that they are not a tree, and they don’t need to stay in one place. I advocate exploring other opportunities in dentistry and beyond.
From my experience, dental nurses want to do more and expand their skill set. I think there is often not enough opportunity or incentive. If my practice manager asks if I want extra responsibilities, I am honest in responding that if I do, I would like to be remunerated for my any additional work. We want to provide the best care for patients, but we should be rewarded for it. People don’t like to talk about money, but some dental nurses struggle to pay their rent. They don’t have enough to buy food. That isn’t safe – how can we treat our patients if we’re not healthy?
I always tell people to surround themselves with supportive, collaborative team members, as they will want to encourage your career growth. Ask for advice. If you want to do extra courses, ask for recommendations. There is a huge community of dental nurses there to help and support. I have a great relationship with my clinician, and I’m always asking questions – it’s how you learn.
Managing burnout:
The dental industry has many highs – the best part about my job is going to sound cheesy. It’s seeing the smile on my patient’s face after they have completed their treatment, and you see the happiness on their face. That satisfaction is reflected on my clinician’s face, and you share a moment. The impact healthy teeth have on somebody’s physical and mental health is just amazing. I see a lot of elderly and vulnerable patients and it’s so rewarding to contribute to their health.
However, it is easy to burn out in the dental industry, and that happened to me too. My current practice is very supportive, but it was very hard at my previous practice. I don’t blame them, it was an NHS practice and we would see 50 patients a day. It was mentally very draining. It’s hard to keep up with that workload, and I would often skip lunch. I had many roles – I was head dental nurse, practice manager and head receptionist. On top of that I was mentoring trainee dental nurses. I ended up in hospital because I was so stressed and ill. It really affected my heath. I have lived experience with domestic abuse, and at the same time, I escaped my home. I was homeless and had to go to food banks. It was a very dark time in my life. That’s why it’s so important to me to educate dental nurses about their rights at work and connect them to the right people if they are having issues at work. I went through a lot of challenges, and I don’t want anybody else to have to go through the same.
Empowering dental nurses:
I am the President elect of the British Association of Dental Nurses (BADN). I first connected with the BADN when I was in the midst of my domestic abuse. I wanted to attend a course they were running but I couldn’t afford to. It was only about £15-£20 but I had no money. I contacted Pam Swain, the Chief Executive of the BADN, who told me to come along to the course, and not to worry about the money. Years later I met Pam at a dental show and reminded her of her kindness. She encouraged me to talk about my story, and that’s where my relationship with the BADN began. I got to know the members, and I did my first talk on domestic abuse awareness in dentistry. The BADN were so helpful and supportive. We are currently working on an advice policy document about how practices can support any members of staff who are experiencing domestic abuse. When they asked me if I would consider running for president, I knew I had to give it a go. Now I’m part of something more, and can help make an impact in dental nursing.
There is so much more dental nurses can offer clinically. We have the skills, knowledge and qualifications to deliver oral health education. Dental nurses could and should be going into nurseries, schools, care homes and hospitals, it would make a huge difference. Nurses can play an intrinsic role in tooth whitening treatments too – we can take impressions and digital scans, with adequate training and on the prescription of another registrant.
I always remind dental nurses that we can recommend products to our patients – I always recommend Philips Sonicare toothbrushes, because the sonic technology mimics what our dental hygienists use during oral hygiene treatments. I have seen a real difference in my patients’ oral health since they have switched to sonic technology. I’m surprised that young people who are so interested in technology often use a manual brush, and I’ve had a few patients come back and tell me how clean their teeth feel since they have used a Sonicare. I use Sonicare myself so I can personally testify to its elevated cleaning capacity which resonates with patients.”
Preetee Hylton has five pieces of advice for all dental nurses:
- Explore post-registration qualifications and expand your career into areas you are passionate about
- Know your worth, and ask for appropriate remuneration
- Ask for advice and seek mentorship
- Know the signs of burnout, and communicate with your team when you need
- Use your voice – dental nurses are a vital part of the dental team
To find out more about Sonicare, and try one for yourself, you can sign up for an in-practice trial kit. Please contact: dental.sales.support@philips.com
