Questions and Answers for Dental Nurses

Carole Hollins is the lead clinician at a general dental practice in Staffordshire, UK. She has been training dental nurses for more than ten years and her involvement with the wider education of dental nurses includes roles as an NEBDN examiner, council member and former chair of the 'National' sub-committee. She is a member of the BADN national teaching group and a qualified NVQ assessor. She has also written the popular NVQs for Dental Nurses.

How to use this book. Details on how to approach and answer the written and diagramatical parts of the NEBDN examination, including the six Access to Registration Training areas. Section 1: Duties and non-surgical role of the dental nurse. Record keeping, some NHS regulations, reception and clerical duties. Section 2: Anatomy and physiology. Circulatory system, neurology, digestive system. Section 3: Dental anatomy and physiology. The skull, tooth morphology, dental muscles, tongue, salivary glands. Section 4: Pathology and microbiology. Generally and specifically in relation to the oral cavity, inflammation and disease processes. Section 5: Causes and prevention of dental disease. Caries, periodontal disease, dental health education. Section 6: Sterilisation and infection control (ART relevant section). Importance of sterlity and cleanliness in the surgery, cross-infection and infection control. Section 7: Dental materials and conservation instruments. General dental materials used daily, and the routine conservation instruments required. Section 8: Restorative dentistry. Fillings, fixed and removable prosthetics, endodontics. Section 9: Minor oral surgery. Simple and surgical extractions, periodontal surgery, biopsy, apicectomy. Section 10: Anaesthesia and sedation. Local anaesthesia, sedation techniques, hazards of the procedures. Section 11: Medical emergencies and drugs (ART relevant section). Types of emergency, resuscitation and first aid, drug therapy. Section 12: Orthodontics. Theory, causes of malocclusion, instruments, methods of treatment. Section13: Dental radiography (ART relevant section). Principles and techniques, film composition, developing. Section14: Health and safety at work (ART relevant section). COSHH, RIDDOR, ionising radiation regulations, waste regulations, fire regulations. Section 15: Working with dentists and patients (ART relevant section). Chairside assisting, communication and teamwork, dental ethics, handling complaints, confidentiality, consent. Section 16: Personal development and lifelong learning (ART relevant section). Continuing professional development, reflective learning, personal development plans, developing learning skills. Section 17: NVQ Independent Assessment. Introduction to areas covered by IA, style of questioning of all three sections of written exam with answers