Marguerite Morgan                      Margaret Kierans                     Clare Lynch & Brianna Hamnett

 

Overview

 

1. Introduction to "The Dental Chair" Podcast: Host Marguerite Morgan, Founder and Director of Irish Dental Jobs, introduces the podcast's focus on recruitment, relationship building, and industry insights within the Irish dental sector. She is joined by Marketing Manager Margaret Kierans.

 

2. Key Insights from the Dental Industry:

• Summary of Irish Dental Jobs’ salary guide findings.
• Comparison between public and private sector salaries for dental nurses.
• Challenges private sector practices face in retaining talent due to lower pay and lack of structured pay increases.
• Importance of inflation awareness and salary adjustments.
• Marguerite’s vision for a centralised, transparent salary guide for the private sector.

 

3. Guest Segment with Clare Lynch, head nurse for Irish Dental Jobs' temp team and Brianna Hamnett, a young dental nurse from Australia.

 

4. The Benefits and Challenges of Temping in Dentistry: Insights from Clare Lynch

• Clare’s background and experience as a temp nurse.
• Advantages of temping for work-life balance, flexible scheduling, and varied experiences in different fields of dentistry.
• How temping can serve as continuous education through exposure to various dental specialties.
• Challenges of adapting to new clinics and the importance of building adaptability skills.
• Clare’s advice for new dental nurses considering temping.

 

5.   An International Perspective on Dental Nursing in Ireland: Experiences Shared by Brianna

• Brianna’s journey from Australia to Ireland as a dental nurse.
• Overview of the working holiday visa process for Australians and how it enables work and travel.
• Comparison of work cultures in Australia and Ireland, noting Ireland’s evolving approach to work-life balance.
• Benefits of temporary roles for international nurses who want flexibility to travel and work.
• Advice for international dental professionals interested in working in Ireland.

 

The Dental Chair Podcast: Exploring Salaries, Temping, and International Perspectives in Ireland's Dental Sector

In a recent episode of The Dental Chair podcast, host Marguerite Morgan, Founder and Director of Irish Dental Jobs, leads an engaging conversation about the current landscape of dental recruitment in Ireland. With 25 years recruitment experience, Marguerite has a deep understanding of the dental industry and its unique challenges.

In this episode, she’s joined by Margaret Kierans, her colleague and the Marketing Manager at Irish Dental Jobs; Clare Lynch, a dedicated temp nurse and head nurse of IDJ’s temp team; and Brianna Hamnett, an Australian dental nurse who recently moved to Ireland.

The episode sheds light on critical issues like salary discrepancies between public and private sectors, the benefits of temping, and the experience of working in Ireland as an international Dental Nurse. Here’s a deeper look into the main takeaways from the discussion.

 

Salary Discrepancies and the Need for Transparency

Margaret Kierans, who leads marketing and research at Irish Dental Jobs, brings a data-driven perspective to the podcast. She shares findings from Irish Dental Jobs' recent salary guide, revealing significant disparities in pay between the public and private sectors. According to the guide, dental nurses with eight years of experience are compensated at similar rates in both sectors. However, beyond eight years, public sector nurses earn significantly more, sometimes up to €30 per hour, while private sector salaries remain capped at around €23 per hour.

Marguerite points out that these salary discrepancies, combined with the transparency of public sector pay structures, are driving many dental professionals to seek public sector roles. Public sector employees benefit from incremental pay increases, regular salary adjustments in line with inflation, and clear guidelines on pay scales, all of which contribute to job satisfaction and retention.

Margaret underscores the importance of inflation awareness, noting that inflation has increased by 18.5% over the past four years. Many private sector dental nurses, however, have not seen comparable salary increases, reducing their real purchasing power. “Practice owners need to be aware of inflation’s impact on their staff,” she advises, “because without regular adjustments, salaries fail to keep up with the cost of living.”

M&M share a vision for Irish Dental Jobs to become a central resource for salary standards in the private dental sector, promoting fairness and transparency across the industry.

Marguerite explains that Irish Dental Jobs has a unique vantage point, with 15 years experience in the industry and extensive data from ongoing interactions with dental professionals across Ireland. She expresses her vision of creating a centralised, transparent salary guide for the private sector to help both employees and employers set fair expectations. "We would like to establish a standardised reference point for salaries," says Marguerite, "to ensure everyone is on the same page regarding compensation."

 

Temping for Flexibility and Continuous Learning

Clare Lynch, head nurse of Irish Dental Jobs' temp team, joins the conversation to discuss her experience as a temp nurse and how it has shaped her career. Coming from a family with a strong background in dentistry, Clare has spent years working in both general and specialist practices, finding temping to be the ideal solution for balancing her professional and personal life.

“Temping is like continuous education,” Clare explains. “It allows you to work in various areas of dentistry—general practice, orthodontics, oral surgery—gaining diverse skills and experience along the way.” Marguerite highlights that temp nurses often develop broader skill sets and more flexibility than those in permanent positions, making them highly adaptable and valuable in different practice settings.

Clare shares that, when she first started temping, she was nervous about adapting to new clinics and systems, especially given her limited experience with dental software. However, with time, she developed the confidence to navigate different work environments with ease. Her advice to new temp nurses is to focus on building adaptability and to view each new placement as an opportunity to grow. “Ask questions, observe how things are done, and be willing to learn on the job,” she says.

One of the greatest benefits of temping, Clare adds, is the work-life balance it offers. By choosing when and where she works, Clare can prioritise her family, only taking assignments that fit her schedule. She credits Irish Dental Jobs with giving her this flexibility, allowing her to be fully present at work and at home.

 

An Australian Perspective on Dental Nursing in Ireland

Brianna, a Dental Nurse from Melbourne, Australia, shares her journey to Ireland and her experience as an international dental professional. Driven by a desire to explore new cultures, Brianna contacted Irish Dental Jobs several months before her move, hoping to find a role that would allow her to work while traveling.

Through Irish Dental Jobs, Brianna secured a flexible, three-day-per-week position in Galway, which enabled her to travel around Ireland while working. She reflects on the differences between working in Australia and Ireland, noting that Australia generally has a corporate yet relaxed work environment with a strong focus on work-life balance. Brianna feels that Ireland is starting to embrace similar values, though she appreciates the unique experience of working in a different culture.

For other Australian nurses considering a move to Ireland, Brianna shares details about the visa process. With an Australian passport, young Australians aged 18 to 30 can apply for a one-year working holiday visa that allows them to work for six months with any one employer. “It’s the perfect arrangement if you want to work and travel,” she says, adding that the visa application process was straightforward.

Before wrapping up, Brianna asks Clare for advice on handling nerves when starting at a new clinic. Clare reassures her that nerves are normal and suggests establishing a routine, asking questions, and observing each dentist’s unique preferences. “Temping challenges you, but it’s also incredibly rewarding,” Clare says. “I’d find it hard now to go back to a single practice.”

 

Conclusion: Building a Supportive Dental Community in Ireland

As The Dental Chair episode concludes, Marguerite emphasises Irish Dental Jobs' commitment to supporting both dental professionals and practice owners. Recruitment, she believes, is about more than just filling vacancies—it’s about building meaningful relationships and promoting long-term success.

Marguerite’s vision of a centralised salary guide for the private sector reflects this commitment to fairness and transparency. By setting a standard for compensation, Irish Dental Jobs hopes to create a more equitable and supportive environment for dental professionals in Ireland.

Whether it’s through standardising salaries, offering flexible temping opportunities, or helping international nurses like Brianna find rewarding work, Irish Dental Jobs is dedicated to fostering a connected, respectful dental community in Ireland.

For those interested in learning more, Irish Dental Jobs invites listeners to explore their resources or contact them directly. As Marguerite says, “People matter.” Every candidate, client, and colleague deserves empathy, respect, and genuine interest, values that make a true difference in recruitment and beyond.