Working as a dental nurse
A dental nurse’s (Dental assistant, hammashoitaja) job is to examine and treat patients’ dental and oral diseases.
The work involves assisting the dentist, preparation and maintenance of the treatment room and often also customer service, equipment maintenance and appointment booking. A dental nurse works as part of a multi-professional team.
The duties of a dental nurse include the preparation of treatment procedures and the cleaning, maintenance, disinfection and sterilisation of the treatment room, dental care equipment and care environment. In addition, the work may include tasks like replenishing the supplies, verifying patient information and checking matters relating to the day’s work.
In treating customers, the dental nurse works together with the dentist and they cooperate in such a way that the dentist has the responsibility for treatment. The duties of the dental nurse include ensuring that care equipment and supplies are available, setting up the tools and opening the instruments and handing the tools and care supplies to the dentist. The duties also include monitoring the patient’s condition during the treatment and guiding customers in the cleaning of their mouth and teeth and in home care.
The workplaces include the city dental clinics in Helsinki, Espoo and Vantaa. Shifts take place on weekdays, mainly morning shifts.
Dental nurses work through Seure under the title practical nurse, oral health care (lähihoitaja, suun terveydenhoito)
Dental nurse’s salary
Our job advertisements indicate the exact salary or wages with possible bonuses. In gig work (on-demand work), wages are paid twice a month. In addition to the basic pay, we pay bonuses for experience and inconvenient working hours. For gig work, holiday bonus is also paid with the wages. Read more about the wages in Seure.
Suitable background, required permits and certificates
- A practical nurse’s qualification with specialisation in oral health care
- Practical training or work experience in the field
- You can also work as a practical nurse student who specialises in oral health care and has practical training or work experience in the field
- Qualification and employment certificates
- Valvira registration (graduates in the field)
- Medication permits and patient information system competence required by the work
- Adequate vaccine protection as required by the Communicable Diseases Act
- Finnish or Swedish skills required for the successful performance of duties
- If the work is carried out in premises with children: criminal records extract