Working as a dental care practitioner can be a rewarding, flexible and sociable career. In addition to a job working as a dentist, a dentistry team also offers work in supporting positions such as dental nurses, hygienists, technicians and therapists.

Dentists in the UK must register with the General Dental Council (GDC) in order to practice. Qualifications are extremely important for people interested in a career as a dentist and the training usually takes at least five years study, followed by one or two years of supervised practice. There are 16 dental schools in the UK, in addition to a number of universities which offer dental degrees, such as Cardiff, Manchester, Birmingham, Sheffield, King's College London and Queen's Belfast.

Dental therapists and hygienists will require a diploma in order to work, but dental nurses and technicians do not need to have a formal qualification, although some relevant experience is usually required. NHS dentists earn between £37,000-80,000 a year on average, while a starting salary for a dental hygienist is around £20,000 per year. Recruitment agencies will be able to connect job seekers interested in a career in this sector with employers in the healthcare industry who are looking for staff