About Us

The British Association of Dental Nurses (BADN) is the UK’s professional association for dental nurses, whose purpose is to support and promote the dental nursing profession, and dental nurses – which we are proud to be doing since 1940. Our mission is to:

Empower dental nurses to advocate and advance the role of dental nursing through a platform of lifelong learning to enable a level of competently applied knowledge, skills and attitudes and behaviours related to the progression from novice to expert practice, that underpin the evolving demands of current and future oral healthcare for the UK population.

Dental nurses are at the heart of everything we do. It is thanks to the continuing support of those dental nurses who join BADN, their professional association, that we continue our mission to promote and develop the dental nursing profession and support dental nurses in the UK. We proudly represent the dental nursing profession in discussions with the General Dental Council, the British Dental Association, the Offices of the Chief Dental Officers, HMRC and other organisations, ensuring the contribution of dental nurses to the dental team and dentistry, in general, is recognised.

As our constitution clearly states, the objectives for which our association is established are:

  • 1. To develop, encourage, promote, support and protect the professional status of the dental nurse.
  • 2. To obtain Parliamentary and legal acknowledgement of the status and rights of dental nurses; to help forward any Bill which benefits them; and to defend the status and rights of dental nurses in such a manner as may be considered necessary.
  • 3. To give consideration to all matters relating dental nurses and take the appropriate action.
  • 4. To continue to maintain and, where necessary, to further develop, nationally recognised standards for dental nursing.
  • 5. To act as a consultative body to whom reference may be made by interested parties for guidance in connection with the dental nurse profession.
  • 6. To provide information and advice to all members of the association.
  • 7. To maintain contact with all appropriate bodies in order to achieve these objectives.
  • 8. To collect, maintain and administer funds for these objectives.

Thanks to our Executive Committee, made up of volunteer dental nurses elected by members of the Association and our Panel of Representatives, also volunteer dental nurses, and the feedback from our members, we understand the challenges dental nurses face at work and home. Our membership packages are designed specifically with dental nurses in mind and offer tools, development opportunities, mentoring and support – not only to help dental nurses excel in their professional lives but in their personal lives too.