Dental team

If you like the idea of working with people, doing a job that's respected, and which offers flexibility and security, a career with the dental team could be right for you. The dental team includes dentists, dental nurses, hygienists, technicians and therapists. Providing dental care for the community or in an acute setting is a team responsibility. Each member of the dental team has an important role to play in promoting and maintaining dental health.

There's a range of different employment options for members of the dental team. People working in general practice will be employed by - or be partners in - a dental practice; some may be self-employed, dividing their time between different practices and other settings for providing care. Dental technicians work for commercial laboratories or in NHS hospital laboratories. Staff working in dental hospitals will usually be employed directly by an NHS employer.

Whatever your role, you'll be making a big contribution to improving the health of the nation's teeth and gums. In recent years there has been a cut in the number of fillings needed and more of us are keeping our teeth. What's more, the skills of the dental team, coupled with advances in dentistry, mean that a visit to the dentist is no longer the intimidating event that it once seemed.