BDJ Team's top performing article published in 2025 is ‘Hierarchy in dentistry: A dental nurse perspective'. Written by Rebecca Silver, a multi-award-winning dental nurse and regular contributor to BDJ Team, this article from January 2025 explores the division within a dental practice and how it can be frustrating for dental nurses. Rebecca says that in dental practices: ‘Dentists usually sit at the top, with dental hygienists, dental therapists, and dental nurses in more supportive roles. While this structure ensures the smooth running of a practice, it can also create power imbalances and communication barriers, affecting both the team and patient care.' She also emphasises dental nurses' importance within the oral healthcare team, ‘keeping the practice running – handling infection control, managing equipment, ordering supplies, and building relationships with patients'. Despite this, the author states that dental nurses' contribution is ‘frequently undervalued in terms of both recognition and compensation' and that many dental nurses find themselves feeling overlooked.
Rebecca goes on to explore dental nurse working conditions and compensation, and the importance of managing hierarchy in dentistry effectively, leading to greater efficiency and better patient care.
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