Dental Therapist

Job summary

Dental Therapist -Band 6

The Whittington Health Community Dental Service treats vulnerable and special needs patients referred by local general dental practitioners and other health care professionals.

The service operates from ten boroughs across NCL and NWL

We are seeking applications from a qualified Dental Therapist to join our busy Community Dental Department primarily in Hounslow , there may be requirement to work from our site in Uxbridge . This is an ideal career opportunity for anyone who is looking for a challenging opportunity to develop their existing skills, and looking for an opportunity to further their career pathway.

The successful candidate will demonstrate a caring approach to patients, be well organised, flexible in their approach to work and have the ability to work well as part of a team as well as on their own. They must be forward thinking, self-motivated as well as be able to motivate others within their team.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will join community dental teams providing care to children and adults who have poor oral health and difficulties in accessing or accepting dental care services. In addition to clinical care the role may also involve epidemiological surveys and oral health promotion activities. The Dental Therapist will also have some administrative, clinical governance and training duties as required by the Trust's Dental Services.

Working for your organisation should read: Whittington Health serves a richly diverse population and works hard to ensure that all our services are fair and equally accessible to everyone. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the way we look after our staff. We aim to employ a workforce which is as representative as possible of this population, so we are open to the value of differences in age, disability, gender, marital status, pregnancy and maternity, race, sexual orientation, and religion or belief. The Trust believes that as a public sector organisation we have an obligation to have recruitment, training, promotion and other formal employment policies and procedures that are sensitive to these differences. We think that by doing so, we are better able to treat our patients as well as being a better place to work.

About us

Whittington Health serves a richly diverse population and works hard to ensure that all our services are fair and equally accessible to everyone. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the way we look after our staff. We aim to employ a workforce which is as representative as possible of this population, so we are open to the value of differences in age, disability, gender, marital status, pregnancy and maternity, race, sexual orientation, and religion or belief. The Trustbelieves that as a public sector organisation we have an obligation to have recruitment, training, promotion and other formal employment policies and procedures that are sensitive to these differences. We think that by doing so, we are better able to treat our patients as well as being a better place to work.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Provide paediatric dental care to patients referred by community dentists. These patients may be dentally anxious, have special needs and be from marginalised communities

To provide dental care to adults with disabilities and special needs. These may include the following groups:

People with learning difficulties People with mental health problems People with physical disabilities or medical problems requiring special care Frail older people and those with dementia Housebound people Homeless people To manage the dental surgery to ensure that high quality dental services are provided safely, effectively and efficiently. This will involve day-to-day management of a Dental Nurse.

To provide clinical cover, when required, in health centres other than their base clinic.

To comply with evidence-based national and local guidelines, and standards of good dental practice.

To communicate appropriately and sensitively with patients, families and carers taking into consideration differences in language, ability and culture. Appropriate communication is also expected between all members of the clinical team when dealing with each other, and with other health and social care professionals involved in patient care

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

Dental Therapist qualification

Desirable

Sedation trained A relevant postgraduate qualification A qualification in health /oral health promotion

Experience

Essential

Experience of providing dental care to children and adults with special care needs Experience of working in primary dental care Experience of providing dental care to people with challenging behaviour

Desirable

Experience of providing clinical care in the Community Dental Service Familiarity with SOEL Health software Experience of treating patients under inhalation sedation Experience of involvement in community-based oral health prevention and promotion programmes

Knowledge / Skills / Abilities

Essential

Excellent communicator, verbal and written Computer literate Team player Good interpersonal skills Understanding of Clinical Governance Broad range of clinical skills in care of children and adults Ability to deal with patients' needs in a caring and sensitive manner Understanding of the aims of the service and what patients want from it Knowledge of oral health promotion and preventive strategies Knowledge of good practice, clinical developments and evidence-based dentistry in dental therapy

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