Paragraph by paragraph
Please find attached my CV for the Senior Dental Nurse post with the Oxfordshire Community Dental Service. I have been a dental nurse since 2019. I started in a community dental service, working with children and patients with additional needs, and since May 2022 I have been a senior dental nurse at Bupa Dental Care.
Where she started, and why it matters here
She names the post and the service, then gives her history in one sentence, starting where this job is. The reader sees straight away that she has worked in community dentistry before.
At Bupa I work with three dentists across general, cosmetic and implant treatment, and between us we see more than 40 patients a day. I take the radiographs and clinical photographs for treatment planning, and I mentor two trainee dental nurses through their NEBDN diploma.
Her current list, in numbers
Three dentists, three kinds of treatment and 40 patients a day show the pace she works at. Radiographs, photographs and mentoring are the duties a senior post needs.
I also lead decontamination for our surgeries, working to HTM 01-05, and our last CQC inspection found no concerns with it.
Decontamination in one sentence
It is short because it only needs to be. HTM 01-05 is the guidance practices in England work to, and "found no concerns" is how an inspection result is described, since CQC doesn't score dental practices.
Community work is what I want to get back to. For three years I nursed on paediatric and special care clinics and applied fluoride varnish for more than 500 children through the school programme. Many of those patients found the dental chair frightening, and I learned to slow the appointment down and plan it around them.
The reason for the move
She gives a positive reason and backs it with her community years. The fluoride varnish figure and the line about frightened patients both point at what this service does.
I am registered with the GDC, my CPD is up to date, and I have used SOE Exact for appointments and records. I am happy to work across your clinics, and I would like to visit one before the closing date if that can be arranged.
Registration and the practical side
GDC registration and CPD go together in one plain sentence. Naming the software saves training time, and being willing to work across clinics matters for a service spread over a whole county.
GDC registration and CPD in one line
Every dental nurse working in the UK must be registered with the General Dental Council. A practice will check the register, so the letter only needs to say you are registered and that your CPD is up to date.
- Verifiable CPD: dental nurses need at least 50 hours in each five year cycle, with at least 10 hours in every two year period, and they make an annual statement to the GDC.
- Recommended topics: the GDC highly recommends CPD in areas including medical emergencies, disinfection and decontamination, radiography and radiation protection, and safeguarding. If the job advert mentions one, say when you last did it.
- Student or trainee: say which qualification you are working towards, such as the NEBDN National Diploma in Dental Nursing, and when you expect to finish.
For an NHS Jobs box or a practice email
NHS posts go through NHS Jobs, where a short statement often comes first, and private practices are usually happy with a short email. This version works for both.
Extended duties: say which, and where you use them
The GDC's Scope of Practice lists extra skills a dental nurse can develop after registration, each with its own training. "Extended duties nurse" on its own doesn't tell a practice which ones you have.
| Duty | What to write |
|---|---|
| Dental radiography | Your qualification, such as NEBDN's post registration qualification in dental radiography, and the kind of radiographs you take. |
| Fluoride varnish | That you apply it on a dentist's prescription or as part of a structured oral health programme, and roughly how many patients. |
| Impression taking | The training you did and which treatments you take impressions for, such as orthodontic records or study models. |
| Clinical photography | What it is used for in your practice, such as treatment planning or implant cases. |
| Sedation nursing | The type of sedation and the qualification you hold for it. |
Other dental nursing jobs and their first lines
Trainee dental nurse
Say when you started your diploma, how many days you work in practice and what you already do chairside.
I started the NEBDN National Diploma in Dental Nursing in September, and I already set up surgeries and handle instruments for two dentists three days a week.
Orthodontic practice
Name the appliances you work with and any records you take.
I have nursed for an orthodontist for three years, assisting with fixed appliance fits and adjustments, and I take the clinical photographs for new patients’ records.
Implant or referral practice
Describe your role in surgery, such as the sterile field and the equipment you manage.
Most of my lists are now implant surgery, where I set up the sterile field and the implant motor and look after the patient during sedation.
Hospital dental department
Mention theatre, sedation or general anaesthetic lists, and working in a larger team.
I am applying for the dental nurse post in your oral and maxillofacial department after two years supporting sedation lists in a community clinic.
Treatment coordinator or reception
Show how you explain treatment and fees, and how many plans you handle.
For a year I have explained treatment plans and fees to around 15 patients a week alongside my chairside work, and I want to do that full time.
Decontamination, and what CQC reports actually say
Decontamination is one of the first things a practice manager asks about, because it is checked at every inspection. In England the guidance is HTM 01-05, Decontamination in primary care dental practices, last published in 2013. Scotland and Wales have their own guidance, so use the one for the nation you work in.
CQC registers and inspects dental practices in England, but it doesn't give them a rating or a score. Its reports say whether the practice is meeting the regulations. A compliance percentage is not something CQC produces, and an experienced reader will notice one. Write what you do instead:
- who you train and supervise in decontamination
- the daily and weekly tests and logs you are responsible for
- what the last inspection said, in its own words, such as no concerns found
Six mistakes dental practices see
"GDC registered" and nothing else
Registration is the minimum, so it says nothing on its own about your experience.
Add your CPD status and your extended duties.
A CQC percentage
CQC doesn’t score dental practices, so a percentage tells a manager you haven’t read a report.
Describe what you do and what the inspection found.
Extended duties without the training
A practice needs to know you are trained for each duty before you do it on their patients.
Name the duty and the qualification behind it.
Patient stories
A child’s age, a rare condition and a town can be enough to identify someone.
Talk about types of patient, not individuals.
No software
Practices use systems such as SOE Exact, and learning a new one takes time.
Name the systems you have used.
No days or hours
Many practices hire around particular sessions and late or Saturday clinics.
Say which days you can work.
How long, and who reads it
- Length: one page. Jessica's letter is about 230 words.
- Who reads it: the practice manager in a private practice; in the NHS, often the lead or senior dental nurse named in the advert, as here.
- Tone: calm and practical. The reader is judging how you would be with an anxious patient.
- Attachments: keep certificates for the interview, unless the advert asks for them with the application.
The main points from this page
- 1Say you are GDC registered and that your CPD is up to date, in one sentence.
- 2Name each extended duty and the training behind it.
- 3Write about decontamination in terms of what you do and HTM 01-05.
- 4Never quote a CQC percentage; describe what the inspection found.
- 5Say which patients you are good with and how.
Frequently asked questions
What should a dental nurse cover letter include?
The post and practice, your registration and CPD, the kind of dentistry you have worked in, your extended duties, decontamination, the software you know and the days you can work.
How many hours of CPD does a dental nurse need?
At least 50 hours of verifiable CPD in each five year cycle, with at least 10 hours in every two year period, recorded in an annual statement to the GDC.
Does CQC rate dental practices?
No. CQC registers and inspects dental practices in England but doesn’t give them a rating. Its reports say whether the practice meets the regulations.
What is HTM 01-05?
The Department of Health guidance on decontamination in primary care dental practices in England. Scotland and Wales have their own versions.
Should I list extended duties in my cover letter?
Yes, by name, with the qualification you hold for each one and where you use it.