A different narrative

Fiona Ellwood asks if it is time for a new conversation regarding oral health improvement practitioners. Dental nurses have a longstanding relationship with collaborative and caring work at all levels, and across multiple settings. Their role has evolved with time, but has accelerated since mandatory registration in 2008. Against this backdrop, the following question must be asked: is it time for a different narrative? There is a need to explore the role of the dental nurse and consider opportunities in allied fields, given the stark reality of the continued prevalence of dental and oral diseases and inequalities. There is also a need to foster different ways of thinking and working, and I argue that dental nurses who become oral health improvement practitioners (OHIP) have a greater part to play in intervention and prevention and, as such, should be permitted to work to their full scope of practice. Beyond this, OHIPs should be encouraged to advance their skills and to deliver the practice of oral health within their communities. The following discussion in response to the question ‘Is it time for a different narrative when it comes to oral health practitioners?’ concludes with the work of Steele (2009a) and that of the Dental Dean (HEE, 2017a), who embraced Steele's work. The narrative centres on the current capacity and yet the confinement of the dental nurse, who is trained as an OHIP, with an eye on the future and its possibilities. The prime focus in this instance is on the dental nurse in the primary care setting, and how they can best take part in the broader health promotion strategies.