Dental Therapist

**Acklam Road Middlesbrough - Self Employed Therapist**

**Job Summary**

**To provide the highest quality hygiene/therapy treatments for patients. To help prevent dental decay by cleaning patients’ teeth and providing them with education on how to care effectively for their teeth and gums and the effects of diet on oral health. The dental therapist will be expected to work with minimum supervision, using their own initiative, and carry out duties in such a way as to make a direct and positive contribution to the practice and so aid the dental staff to maximise the use of their time.**

**Clinical Duties**

**- Providing dental health education about tooth care and diet;**

**- Record indices, recognise and monitor disease**

**- Monitor periodontal disease by using current indices**

**- Monitor plaque scores and provide oral hygiene advice**

**- Carry out treatment according to the dentist’s written prescription**

**- Treat patients according to the practice appointment scheduling system**

**- Keep the clinical areas and all equipment and instruments clean, tidy and sterile as appropriate according to the practice’s health and safety and infection control procedures and manufacturers' instructions**

**- Use all equipment and machinery in accordance with manufacturers' recommendations and ensure that they are maintained regularly and in good working order**

**- Accurately complete patient clinical records as directed**

**- Ensure the welfare of all patients**

**- Be familiar and comply with all health and safety rules and guidance, including PPE, COSHH, mercury handling, infection control, waste disposal etc**

**- Develop a home care plan for individual patients to maintain oral health**

**- Perform non-surgical periodontal therapy including supra and sub gingival scaling, comprehensive root surface debridement which may involve the use of local infiltration analgesia together with the placing of antimicrobial agents when necessary**

**- Give specific preventative advice including: nutritional guidance, smoking cessation etc**

**- Replace crowns dislodged during treatment with a temporary cement**

**- Take impressions**

**- Administer local anaesthetic.**

**- Removing plaque and calculus by scaling and polishing teeth;**

**- Carrying out screening and monitoring procedures;**

**- Treating and helping to prevent gum disease;**

**- Ensuring that sterile conditions are maintained;**

**- Offering advice and encouragement to patients;**

**- Working closely with and under the instruction of dentists;**

**- Using a range of dental instruments;**

**- Keeping up-to-date with new developments within the profession maintaining patient dental records.**

**Key Tasks**

**- Create a good impression of the practice by being professional in manner.**

**- Be responsible for the aseptic state of the surgery**

**- Smart appearance**

**- Maintain patient confidentiality at all times**

**- Offer clinical advice.**

**- Maintain their GDC registration.**

**- Record accurate computer records**

**- Having a mature, friendly, confident and caring manner is important,**

**- Possess appropriate personal characteristics such as effective interpersonal, communication, teamwork and listening skills.**

**Equality and Diversity**

**It is the responsibility of every member of staff to understand the practice equality and diversity commitments and statutory obligations under current equality legislation including the Disability Discrimination Act 2005, the equality Act 2006 and the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 and to**:

- **Act in ways that support equality and diversity and recognise the importance of people’s rights in accordance with legislation, policies, procedures and good practice.**:

- **Valuing people as individuals and treating every one with dignity and respect, consideration without prejudice, respecting diversity and recognising peoples expressed beliefs, preferences and choices in working with others and delivering appropriate services.**:

- **Recognise and report behaviour that undermines equality under practice policy.**:

- **Be consciously aware of own behaviour and encourage the same behaviour in colleagues.**:

- **Acknowledge others different perspectives and recognise the diverse needs and experiences of everyone they come into contact with.**

**Infection Control**

**All staff will adhere to infection control policies and procedures at all times and carry out role specific duties as per roles and responsibilities.**

**Confidentiality**

**Confidentiality/data protection regarding all personal information must be maintained at all times (both inside and outside working hours). All staff should ensure that they are familiar with and adhere to all practice privacy, confidentiality and security policies and procedures. Any breach of confidentiality will be taken seriously, and appropriate disciplinary action taken.**

**Freedom of Information**

**In accordance with the