Becoming a Dental Nurse

Details of exam fees can be found here.

We currently work with over 120+ accredited course provider sites across the UK and Ireland. The course providers are the ones who teach our qualifications to candidates (students) and we support with exams as the examining award body.

NEBDN accredit a number of Course Providers across the UK and Ireland. The courses and providers vary greatly and choosing one to suit you can prove complex. The course provider tips document provides key points to consider when choosing the course provider that is right for you.

If you are interested in becoming a dental nurse and taking the NEBDN National Diploma qualification, please click here to contact a course provider for details on pricing and curriculum. We advise you search for more than one course provider to get an idea of what they offer that best suites you, as some course providers also offer online and distance learning courses.

There are three main routes to becoming a dental nurse; (a) finding employment (or a placement) and a course provider, (b) finding a course provider who arranges placements for you or (c) applying for a full-time course at a dental teaching hospital.

a.    The majority of qualified Dental Nurses will have come through this route. You will need to find employment (or a placement) as a trainee dental nurse in a dental practice. Once you have employment you can start to look for a training place with a course provider. In most cases your employer will be able to recommend a course provider as they may have used them before. Don’t worry if the course does not start for a few months you can keep your employment as a trainee for up to two years.
b.  All candidates must be either in employment or in a clinical environment prior to starting the NEBDN programme. Any candidate who is not in employment or in a clinical environment will not be considered an NEBDN candidate and cannot access the NEBDN National Diploma qualification through our course providers. Search one of our accredited course providers. 

If you wish to sit the NEBDN National Diploma in Dental Nursing at the end of your training then you must ensure your course provider is on our accredited list.
c.    Dental teaching hospitals provide all the training and clinical experience in one place but full-time places are limited. Check that the teaching hospital you have selected is one of our accredited course providers and contact them regarding their application process.

 To apply as a Dental Nurse, there is a minimum age requirement of 16 years old.

Once you are on a course of training you can expect it to last between 12 and 24 months. As part of your training you will be required to complete a portfolio of evidence of your competence to perform a range of clinical tasks. This is known as a Record of Experience (RoE) and you will need the support of your employer to be able to complete this effectively. The course will consist of topics such as Dental Disease, Regional Anatomy, Dental Materials and Radiography, as well as those related to each procedure you are likely to encounter in the workplace.

Training may be delivered in a variety of ways e.g. classroom based, distance learning or online, but this will depend on the course provider you have chosen.

At the end of the course, providing you have satisfactorily completed your RoE, you will be eligible for entry to the NEBDN National Diploma in Dental Nursing examination.

The NEBDN examination is in two parts and you will need to pass Part 1 before you can take Part 2.

Part 1 is a written paper consisting of multiple-choice questions (MCQs) and extended matching questions (EMQs). Part 2 is a practical examination consisting of a series of objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) which are arranged in cubicles around a large room. These clinical examinations are designed around simulated situations which you may commonly encounter in the workplace.

Once you have passed Part 2 of the examination you will be awarded the NEBDN National Diploma in Dental Nursing and you will be eligible to apply for registration with the General Dental Council as a qualified dental nurse.