Dental care professionals often experience work-related musculoskeletal disorders, usually linked to awkward posture and repetitive movements over a long period of time. Practitioners need to be aware of the risks and the steps they can take to minimise the likelihood of these injuries
Dental nurses are often required to carry out initial assessment and triage of patients who attend the dental clinic on an emergency basis. This article, the first in a series of two articles, covers the causes and classifications of dental trauma as well as the principles of history taking
Fiona Grist, vice president of the Orthodontic National Group for Dental Nurses and Therapists, and a member of Dental Nursing’s editorial board, highlights two dental nurse winners at the BOS annual conference and the British Dental Assocation awards dinner respectively
Medical emergencies can occur in dental practice, and all members of the dental team should know what to do when one occurs. However, uncertainty remains over roles and responsibilities, and this requires discussion and clarification
Interdental cleaning has been in the news recently, and not all of it made for sparkling reading. Karen Coates, oral health advisor at the British Dental Health Foundation, discusses the importance of reminding patients about a key aspect of oral hygiene maintenance
It is commonly believed that teething in infants can cause various signs and symptoms. This article reviews the evidence for the various suggested signs and symptoms as well as suggested remedies
Patients with bleeding disorders present particular challenges to the dental team in providing dental treatment. This article aims to describe the common causes of bleeding problems and discuss the role of the dental team in planning and delivering safe and effective dental care
Several types of dental operator chair are available, and the correct choice not only makes work more comfortable but also can prevent musculoskeletal problems. When a practice decides to buy new chairs for surgery staff, dental nurses need to be involved in the discussions
It's January and everyone is thinking about the upcoming year and what opportunities this year may bring. So what's in store for dental nurses in 2013 and how can you get involved more in supporting your profession?
This series of articles is designed to help you explore and develop your dental nursing practice. This article, the third in the series, explores the ‘dos and don'ts of giving and receiving feedback
Over the last 5 years there have been a considerable number of changes in dentistry that have irreversibly altered the course of the profession. Sam Ball looks at these changes, and predicts their impact on the future of the industry
What are mouth ulcers? How are they identified and what advice should patients be given? Ulcers are uncomfortable, have a number of causes and may be a sign of an underlying condition. They also give dental teams opportunities to build relationships with patients
Healthcare staff with a high occupational exposure to latex gloves, such as dental care professionals, have a higher than average incidence of latex allergies. Aleks Kinay outlines the types of allergic sensitization to natural rubber latex and measures to reduce the risk of exposure in health servi
This article describes how preventive encounters in dental practice can be most effective if each of the characters involved play their part. It describes the attitudes, knowledge and skills that an optimally effective clinical team need to have and what patients may bring to preventive encounters
We all work in a dental organisation of some sort, some big and some small, and it is a fact of life that when people work together, there will be conflict from time to time. This article explains how to manage conflict, improve communication skills and develop conflict resolution skills
