Role guide · Dental
Dental nursing runs hospital-grade infection control at high-street scale: fresh gloves and mask per patient, splash protection at every aerosol procedure, and a scrubs wardrobe that launders like clinical kit because it is clinical kit — chosen by the practice, worn ten hours a day.
The job
The base uniform is scrubs or tunics in practice colours (the colour code is the practice's own), bought on three tests: survives 60 °C laundering without fading (the clinical washing rules apply in full), moves through a ten-hour chair-side day, and meets the bare-below-elbows convention — short sleeves, no wrist jewellery — that infection-control audits expect. Fabric weight matters more than fashion scrubs admit: dental days are long and surgeries run warm under lights.
The per-patient layer is the disposable rhythm: nitrile gloves changed every patient (latex policies vary by practice; nitrile sidesteps the question), masks per session or procedure, and visors or safety glasses for aerosol-generating procedures — the ultrasonic scaler is a splash generator, and eye protection is for the nurse as much as the patient. Footwear completes it: closed-toe, wipeable, cushioned for standing — theatre-clog style or supportive trainers per practice policy. Uniform stays at work or travels covered per the practice's policy, same logic as every clinical setting.
The list
| Item | The spec | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Scrubs/tunics | Practice colours, 60 °C-rated, bare-below-elbows | The audit-proof base layer |
| Gloves | Nitrile, per patient, right size | Sized properly — dexterity is the job |
| Masks & visors | Per procedure; visors for aerosols | Scalers and drills generate splash |
| Footwear | Closed, wipeable, cushioned | Ten standing hours under surgery lights |
| Laundering discipline | Separate, hot, per policy | The clinical washing rules |
Questions
Practice-coloured scrubs or tunics rated for 60 °C laundering, worn bare-below-elbows, with per-patient disposable PPE — nitrile gloves, masks, and visors or safety glasses for aerosol procedures — and closed wipeable footwear for long standing days. The practice's infection-control policy is the rulebook.
Effective hand and wrist decontamination: sleeves, watches and jewellery harbour contamination and defeat hand hygiene between patients. Short-sleeved scrubs are the practical uniform answer, matching the convention across UK clinical settings.
Commonly yes, under the practice's policy: separate load, 60 °C where the garment allows, dried promptly — the same home-laundering rules as other clinical uniforms. Buy scrubs rated for the temperature so the policy is actually washable.
Everything in this guide is stocked, embroiderable and priced for teams — send the headcount.