Ministry of Defence (Defence Medical Services)

Band 5 Civilian Dental Hygienist

The closing date is 15 April 2026

Job summary

Are you looking to work in a modern, patient-focused dental practice that prioritises quality care and professional development? At Defence Primary Healthcare, we are intent on providing excellent care in a friendly and encouraging environment.

When it comes to delivering outstanding patient care, our motivated Dental Hygienists make all the difference. We know just how valuable your skills are, so come join the wonderful team at the Dental Centre, RAF Honington.

This role offers 37.5 hours per week and all requests to work flexibly will be considered, allowing for business needs, and reviewed annually. The salary will be pro-rata where part-time hours are undertaken.

Benefits

A Market Skills Supplement of £5,750 per annum (pro rata)
An NHS pension
On-call allowance, if applicable
An inclusive working environment
General Dental Council (GDC) Annual Fees are currently reimbursed
Free parking
Gym facilities including a pool
Small shop and Costa
Continuous professional development (CPD) training supplied

Main duties of the job

Defence Primary Healthcare (DPHC) is a vibrant and fast paced organisation which aims to provide the absolute best primary healthcare to members of the Armed Forces and other entitled personnel.

Defence Primary Healthcare delivers a clinical service in accordance with National Health Service (NHS) Standards and Ministry of Defence policies.

You will primarily provide dental treatment, oral hygiene instruction and education, administration, enhancing force generation and operational capability and minimising dental morbidity on operations. While also providing, if requested, clinical and administrative support for the provision of dental care in other local Defence Primary Healthcare sites or health fairs.

About us

Our success depends on our people our Whole Force regular and reservist military, civil servants and contractors, all working as one, working together seamlessly to deliver for us.

Our civil servants are a central part of this Whole Force, developing strategy, making policy, supporting ministerial decision-making and Parliamentary processes. In fact, with over 2,000 different roles working across 650 sites around the world, now really is an excellent time to join one of the largest, most exciting departments in government.

The Ministry of Defence is committed to attracting and retaining people from across the full range of backgrounds and enabling flexible ways of working as the norm. We offer maternity, adoption or shared parental leave of up to 26 weeks full pay followed by 13 weeks of statutory pay and a further 13 weeks unpaid, and paternity leave of 2 weeks full pay.

In return, you can expect a department that helps you learn and develop that recognises your expertise and contribution, both as an individual and part of a team.

If you've ever wanted to do more, see more, go further or be better, we have roles in more professions and vocations than ever before. Let's see where your future will take you, together.

Date posted

01 April 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 5

Salary

£31,049 to £37,796 a year pro rata for part time (pay award pending)

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Job share

Reference number

K0003-26-0144

Job locations

Dental Centre

RAF Honington

Bury St Edmunds

IP31 1EE

Job description

Job responsibilities

It is important that you read the attached job description and person specification prior to applying to fully understand all the duties required by the Civilian Dental Hygienist within DPHC.

Selection Process

At application stage you will be assessed against the following:

CV:

Please ensure you demonstrate that you have the required skills, knowledge, experience, qualifications and memberships in the CV section of the application form.
Please provide information of how you meet the criteria set out in the Job Description. You may wish to further include examples of how you have tackled similar tasks or demonstrated the skills outlined in the job advert.

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

At interview you will be assessed against the following:

Technical Skills:

NHS Core - NHSC1 - Communication
NHS Core - NHSC2 - Personal & People Development
NHS Core - NHSC3 - Health, Safety & Security
NHS Core - NHSC4 - Service Improvement
NHS Core - NHSC5 - Quality
NHS Core - NHSC6 - Equality and Diversity

The interview may consist of a mix of direct questions and clinical situation-based scenarios.

The sift will be completed within 10 working days of the vacancy closing date. Interviews will be held on a date to be confirmed.

There will be no reimbursement for any travel expenses for the interview.

All employees joining Ministry of Defence who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a 6-month probation period (unless otherwise advised) effective from the employment start date.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS).

Access to the NHS pension scheme is available to the successful candidate.

If found successful for this position, you will be required to provide evidence of your immunity to Hepatitis B. Please note that evidence of your vaccination is not a proof of your immunity, but your serology levels will be required. Failure to provide sufficient evidence may result in the offer of employment being withdrawn.

Applicants approaching graduation are eligible to apply for this role, however they will need to obtain the full qualification and membership requirements prior to commencing in post. Should you have any queries concerning your eligibility, please contact DBSCivPers-SGDMSResourcing@mod.gov.uk.

There is no requirement to deploy as this is met by our uniformed personnel, but you will form the continuity of care required by our patients when based at home.

The post does NOT offer relocation expenses (move of home, excess fares or temporary transfer). Non-Standard move applicants will be eligible for the full package, subject to eligibility.

Please be advised that the Department is conducting a review of all pay related allowances which could impact on those allowances that the post currently being advertised attracts.

As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came into effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points-based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical. This role does not meet that category, and we will not sponsor a visa. It is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points based system. Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected, and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn.

This vacancy is part of the A Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/making-the-civil-service-a-greatplace to-work-for-veterans

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity.

There is a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

If you need to advise us that you need additional help or reasonable adjustments for the recruitment process, please contact DBSCivPers-SGDMSResourcing@mod.gov.uk.

The Ministry of Defence requires all candidates who are successful at interview to declare any outside interests. These declarations will be discussed with successful candidates following the interview process and before a formal offer of employment is made, as some outside interests may not be compatible with MOD civilian roles. This will not, in the majority of cases, prevent employment in MOD, but it is a measure that must be taken to ensure that appropriate mitigations can be put in place to manage any potential, perceived or actual conflicts of interest from the first day of employment.

The Ministry of Defence adopts a zero tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviours, which includes bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and victimisation. You will not be eligible and will not be considered for this post if you have been dismissed from a role for such unacceptable behaviours within the last five years. This will also apply if you resign or otherwise leave a role but, because of an adverse decision, would have been dismissed for gross misconduct had you continued in that employment. Pre-employment checks will be carried out.

The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for its staff which includes educating them on the benefits of not smoking, protecting them from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and supporting those who want to give up smoking.

Under the Smoke-Free Working Environment policy, Smoking and the use of all tobacco products (including combustible and chewing tobacco products) will not be permitted anywhere in the Defence working environment. The policy is Whole Force and includes all Defence personnel, contractors, visitors and other non-MOD personnel. All applicants seeking, considering, or accepting employment with the Ministry of Defence should be aware of this policy and that it is already in place at a number of Defence Establishments.