All smiles over dental success

A DENTAL project, which has seen Oldham buck a national shortage of qualified dental nurses, has celebrated the graduation of its second group of students.

A total of 13 students, who started the two-year apprenticeship scheme in 2006, attended an awards evening.

The award-winning project has placed trainees in the borough’s dental surgeries over the past four years and helpoed tackle the shortage of qualified dental nurses.

The initiative was created in Oldham to help develop and support dental teams in the borough.

It is commissioned by NHS Oldham and involves Oldham Community Health Services oral health improvement team, The Oldham College and dental practices.

Graduate dental nurse Ashley Gough (21), from Lees, was one of the graduates.

She said: “I was stuck in a dead-end job when I heard of the scheme.

“I wasn’t sure what to expect at first, but I soon found that I really loved learning all the new things, meeting patients and the variety.

“I’ve also done a radiography course and I’m working across five different dental practices. I’d encourage others to think about doing it.”

Ashley’s employer, dentist Mohsan Ahmad, said: “The scheme has helped the cadets put what they have learned in college into practice. Their assistance helps to reduce dental practices’ workload by giving an extra member of staff.”

Julie Jones, Oldham Community Health Services co-ordinator of the dental nurse cadet scheme, said: “Young people are interested in developing careers in dentistry and dentists have been keen to secure permanent positions at the end of the apprenticeship period.”

Tony Spencer, from The Oldham College, said: “The dental nurse cadet scheme is a great initiative.”

The cadets spend the first eight weeks of the scheme at the college, and then four days each week in surgeries to learn by a dentist’s side, with day release at college.

The scheme has a 100 per cent pass rate with 100 per cent employment to date.