Band 5 Civilian Dental Hygienist

Ministry of Defence (Defence Medical Services); Aylesbury; On-site; GBP 29,000 - 37,000; Full time

Job summary

A government defence department seeks a Band 5 Civilian Dental Hygienist in Aylesbury. This role focuses on delivering patient-centered dental care in a supportive environment. Responsibilities include dental treatment and education, with flexible working options available. Competitive salary of £29,970 to £36,483 per year, pro rata. Join the team to make a difference in the health of service personnel.

Benefits

Market Skills Supplement of £5,750

NHS pension scheme

Paid holiday entitlement

Access to fitness facilities

Free parking

Free laundry for clinical clothing

Qualifications

• Registered dental hygienist evidence required.
• Must have indemnity cover for dental practice.
• Current full GDC registration required.

Responsibilities

• Provide dental treatment and oral hygiene instruction.
• Minimize dental morbidity on operations.
• Support dental care in local sites if required.

Skills

Evidence of current practice

Confidence in using Information Technology

Full UK driving license

Education

GDC-approved Certificate/Diploma in Dental Hygiene or BSc in Dental Therapy

Job description

Go back Ministry of Defence (Defence Medical Services)

Band 5 Civilian Dental Hygienist

The closing date is 13 October 2025

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 dental centre Halton.

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.

As a valued member of the team, you will receive access to outstanding rewards and employee benefits, including:

• A Market Skills Supplement of £5,750 per annum - pro rata
• Access to the NHS pension scheme
• On-call allowance, if applicable
• Inclusive working environment
• Discount fee to access on-site fitness facilities
• Free parking
• Paid holiday entitlement
• On-site free laundry for clinical clothing & free clinical footwear
• General Dental Council (GDC) Annual Fees are currently reimbursed

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. DPHC delivers a clinical service in accordance with National Health Services (NHS) Standards and Ministry of Defence (MoD) 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. You will also provide, if requested, clinical and administrative support for the provision of dental care in other local DPHC 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 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.

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 Civilian Dental Hygienist within DPHC.

Selection Process

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

The Selection at sift stage will be based on your CV/application, once copied, and pasted onto your application. Ensure you prove that you have the required skills, knowledge, experience, qualifications, and memberships in your CV, max 3 pages.

At interview you will be assessed via the NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework (KSF):

NHS Core NHSC1 Communication

NHS Core NHSC2 Personal & People Development

NHS Core NHSC5 Quality

NHS Core NHSC6 Equality and Diversity

Copy and paste the following link to our YouTube video for advice preparing your best responses with hints and tips on answering behaviour-based questions. Hints and tips such as: Your behaviours can be based on situations from work, volunteering or home; match your situation to the behaviour requested and how to use your 250-word limit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEpdNWKQSRI

Additional Information

Artificial Intelligence (AI) 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 AI, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subjected to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

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

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

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

This role does not currently hold any line manager responsibilities; any changes in the future will be discussed and agreed upon with the employee.

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-code/the-civil-service-code

Applicants who hold the qualifications but are not yet registered with the General Dental Council (GDC) and those approaching graduation are eligible to apply for this role, however they will need to obtain the full qualification and membership requirements prior to beginning in post. Should you have any queries concerning your eligibility, please contact [e-mail].

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 a security check.

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.

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

Please note that if a successful applicant is called forward for interview but cannot attend the date or time issued, while all attempts will be made to work with applicants the option to change dates or times is not always possible.

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.

We recruit by merit based on fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles - https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/recruitment/recruitment-principles/

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-great-place-to-work-for-veterans

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.

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 [e-mail].

The Ministry of Defence requires all candidates who are successful at interview to declare any outside interest. 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.

The Ministry of Defence adopts a zero tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviours, including 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. Under the Smoking and Health policy, smoking and the use of all tobacco products will not be permitted anywhere in the Defence working environment. Some exemptions are in place; please refer to local guidance. The policy is Whole Force and includes all Defence personnel, contractors, visitors, and other non-MOD personnel.

For details on our complaints procedure, please see the Important Information document attached.

Person Specification

Experience

• A Full United Kingdom driving licence to enable working from another local military dental centres, if required.
• Evidence of current practice as a registered dental hygienist.
• Evidence of indemnity cover for general dental practice (candidates are strongly encouraged to have personal professional indemnity).
• Evidence of currency with GDC Continued Professional Development requirements.
• Confidence in using Information Technology.

Registrations and Memberships

• Please provide your membership registration number for the General Dental Council (GDC).
• Please state if you are nearing completion of your qualification and understand you will have to obtain GDC membership prior to starting in post.
• Ensure you include details on any current, spent or impending restrictions to practice.

Provide a CV

• Ensure you demonstrate that you have the required skills, knowledge, experience, qualifications, and memberships in the CV section of the application form.
• Copy and paste your full CV as your response to this question, Provide a CV max 3 pages.
• NOTE - you will not be able to upload your CV as an attachment.
• Make certain to refer to the essential criteria, where applicable, as your application may be rejected should insufficient information to shortlist be included.
• Always use double spacing where possible.

Qualifications

• Satisfactorily completed a GDC-approved Certificate/Diploma in Dental Hygiene or BSc (Bachelor of Science) in Dental Therapy as outlined on the GDC website https://www.gdc-uk.org/education-cpd/dental-education/quality-assurance/approved-providers/dental-therapy-and-dental-hygiene.
• Current full General Dental Council registration including details on any current, spent or impending restrictions to practice. If not currently held, you will have to obtain this prior to commencing in post.

Behaviour Statement

• Have you been dismissed for gross misconduct relating to bullying, harassment, discrimination or victimisation from any role in the past five years, or resigned or otherwise left a role but would have been dismissed for such gross misconduct because of an adverse decision, had you continued in that employment?
• Please respond with Yes or No as appropriate

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Ministry of Defence (Defence Medical Services)

£29,970 to £36,483 a year Pro Rata. *Pay award pending