Dental Therapist

Job summary

You will provide oral health advice and instruction to service users with a wide range of additional needs, including adults & children with learning disabilities, physical disabilities, complex medical histories, challenging behaviours and looked after children.

Carry out specialist clinical, preventative & restorative treatments under the prescription of a dentist. Also, as part of the 2022/2023 NHS contract reform, may need to provide direct access to dental care where that care is within their GDC scope of practice, and the individual is qualified, competent and indemnified to do so

Part of your role will be to undertake training & calibration to participate in epidemiological studies to aid research into dental disease.

Applications are welcomed from those who wish to develop and utilise their therapy skills within a service that provides comprehensive care for children and adults with special needs. The role will include clinical duties across our 2 clinics and being an active participant in the oral health promotion team. There is also opportunity to participate in the Annual Epidemiological Surveys for the region subject to training and successful calibration.

You will have full GDC registration, undergo enhanced DBS clearance and must hold full and valid driving licence and have access to a vehicle as there is a requirement to travel to other sites.

Main duties of the job

Provide high quality, specialist, clinical restorative & preventative dental treatment to adults & children with complex needs in a primary care setting, under the prescription of a dentist and by direct access if competent, qualified and within their scope of practice. This includes treatment of those with learning difficulties, mental health problems and challenging behaviour, complex medical histories, sensory and mobility problems and looked after children.

Provide preventative care and advice to individual patients and their carers.

Participate in epidemiological studies to aid research into dental disease, for which training and calibration will be provided.

Keep comprehensive & contemporaneous accurate records.

Participation in audit, clinical governance and peer review including all mandatory training requirements.

Liaise with colleagues and other health and care professionals in order to provide the right care for the patients

Display behaviours that demonstrate the Trust & GDC's vision and values

Comply with HTM01-05 and Trust IPC guidance.

• The job holder is expected to work flexibly with colleagues to achieve the required aims and objectives of the service.

About us

The Community Dental service is a progressive team that value their workforce. Our primary role is to help people with complex and/or additional needs access dental care. Patients are referred to us from other social and healthcare professionals to obtain urgent or continuing dental provision depending on their level of complexity.

We also call handle urgent access for patients who do not have a general dental practitioner. We have clinics in Torbay and Newton Abbot and offer domiciliary care, carry out epidemiological fieldwork and have general anaesthetic sessions within the day surgery unit at Torbay Hospital.

All surgeries have recently been updated with new dental equipment and the service has the use of a compact bariatric wheelchair ramp.

Why work with us