BSDHT’s Julie Deverick says: “We are in this together”
“The whole is greater than the sum of its parts” is a familiar quotation first coined by the philosopher, Aristotle. It describes the combined power of a group of people working or interacting together and reiterates the meaning of the acronym T.E.A.M. – Together, Everyone Achieves More.
High quality, comprehensive oral healthcare depends upon a co-operative, collaborative team working to deliver the best possible experience and service for every patient. The dental team is far stronger and greater than any individual member as it provides a collective body of knowledge, skills and security.
The team empowers each individual, improves performance and job satisfaction, while also reducing stress. Working as a team helps overcome challenges, resolve conflicts, ensure safety, mitigate errors, learn and improve performance. When people work smartly together, it boosts productivity, engagement, communication and efficiency.
Dental nurses have a vital role in the dental team by providing support for both the clinical and non-clinical aspects of patient care. As well as providing chair-side assistance for dental treatments and procedures, dental nurses prepare and maintain dental equipment, instruments and materials and will often complete those essential infection control and decontamination procedures.
As registered dental professionals, dental nurses record dental charting, complete administrative tasks and are ready to take action in the event of a medical emergency, all of which is second-nature when dental nurses work with dentists. But why is it so widely accepted that dental hygienists and dental therapists should work alone?
GDC Standards
The GDC Standards for the Dental Team 6.2 and 6.2.2 states: “You must be appropriately supported when treating patients” and “You should work with another appropriately trained member of the dental team at all times when treating patients in a dental setting”.
These standards apply to all situations, except when treating patients in an out-of-hours emergency, delivering care as part of a public health programme or in exceptional circumstances. The advantages of dental hygienists and dental therapists working with a dental nurse are manifold.
Dentists benefit from an extra pair of hands to help deliver efficient care more quickly. There is also the added peace of mind and support that comes from having a second professional opinion or simply having a chaperone in the surgery when treating a patient.
A number of professional organisations have interpreted the GDC Standards for the Dental Team as we have, and back the idea of dental nurses working with dental hygienists and therapists. For example, Dental Protection cites several very good reasons why this would be sensible in practice, including managing infection control, responding to medical emergencies and chairside assistance.
We at the British Society of Dental Hygiene and Therapy (BSDHT) are fully behind the idea and we are working hard to highlight the importance of dental nursing support for dental hygienists and dental therapists throughout the UK. The Society is always looking for ways it can assist its members and the wider dental profession by providing a single, powerful collective voice.
Our goal is to ensure that patients are treated safely and effectively in the dental practice, while also supporting improvements in the working environment for dental hygienists and dental therapists. The BSDHT’s campaign is backed by the British Association of Dental Nurses (BADN) and the Society of Dental Nurses (SBDN), who recognise the importance of dental nursing support for all clinicians.
Professional bodies are also working to ensure that dental nurses – as well as dental hygienists and dental therapists – are recognised for their outstanding contribution to dentistry. Especially given the additional work that many DCPs fulfilled throughout the pandemic this year, it is only right that they are fairly supported and rewarded as other GDC-registrants have been.
It is crucial the dental team has all the necessary tools, training and support it needs to carry out a vital job. This applies to all clinicians – including dental hygienists and dental therapists. We are in this together, and together the dental team is so much greater than the sum of its parts.
For more information about the BSDHT, please visit www.bsdht.org.uk call 01788 575050 or email
