Abubakar Mir draws on his experience as a male dental nurse to consider why dental nursing remains female dominated and the impact that stereotyping continues to have on the profession.
Dental nursing has been long assumed to be a female dominated profession, with only around 1.85% of dental nurses in the United Kingdom being male (GDC, 2025). While this perception is slowly changing, gender stereotypes surrounding the role still exist.
As a young male dental nurse working in practice, I have seen the way these assumptions and misconceptions can influence how dental nurses are viewed by patients, colleagues and even ourselves. I have experienced numerous assumptions around gender and age and the way it can affect how dental nurses are portrayed.
I hope that by sharing my experience as a male dental nurse, I can start to break stereotypes and encourage a more inclusive conversation within the profession.
Starting young in a stereotyped role
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