Community Dental Officer

King's College Hospital; City of Westminster; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 50,000; Part time

Job summary

A healthcare institution is seeking a part-time dentist to join the Community Special Care Dental Service. The role requires high-quality oral health care for vulnerable children and adults with special needs and involves various responsibilities such as managing clinics and participating in training activities. The ideal candidate will have GDC registration, previous experience in primary care dentistry, strong interpersonal skills, and a commitment to quality healthcare. The position is available in multiple locations including Kingston, Richmond, and Wandsworth.

Qualifications

• Current or previous experience in a UK-based salaried primary care dental service.
• Understanding of dental outreach dentistry desirable.
• Driving licence and daily access to a vehicle highly desirable.

Responsibilities

• Provide high quality oral health care to adults and children.
• Organise and manage a designated surgery or clinic.
• Participate in school screening activities and perform appropriate surveys.
• Assist in the training of dental therapy students and other trainees.
• Participate in Peer Review and Clinical Governance.

Skills

Clinical skills for providing oral health care

Interpersonal skills

Leadership and management

Education

Full registration with the GDC

Completed vocational training or equivalence

Job description

Responsibilities

• Provide high quality oral health care to adults and children, including vulnerable children with high caries rates and behavioural issues.
• Organise and manage a designated surgery or clinic, working at multiple clinical bases as required.
• Maintain accurate, contemporaneous written records for each patient outlining clinical treatment performed and advice given.
• Participate in school screening activities, identify dental needs in the local community and perform appropriate BASCD epidemiological surveys.
• Perform domiciliary visits to provide clinical oral healthcare for housebound and elderly patients with physical disabilities or mobility problems.
• Assist in the training of dental therapy students, undergraduate dental students and other trainee dental care professionals in a clinical setting.
• Complete clinical and administrative data required by the Department of Community Special Care Dentistry for contractual, research or audit purposes.
• Adapt professional duties at short notice as required by the needs of the Department and work from more than one clinical base during the week.
• Keep accurate records of all CPD activity as part of mandatory requirements for revalidation by the General Dental Council.
• Participate in Peer Review, Clinical Governance and annual Departmental Study Days within the Department of Community Special Care Dentistry.
• Take responsibility for the safety and security of the working environment in line with health and safety legislation, hazard control and local/national decontamination guidelines.
• Observe and maintain strict confidentiality of personal information relating to patients and staff.
• Contribute to the development of colleagues and actively pursue personal development.
• Attend mandatory training courses, other meetings as directed by the Consultant/Head of Department or authorised deputies.
• Lead, coach and manage the performance of the team in line with good people management practices, ensuring excellence is recognised and underperformance is addressed.
• Participate in regular performance appraisal meetings and ensure each member of the team has a clear set of objectives and development plans.

Qualifications

• Full registration with the GDC and completed vocational training or equivalence.
• Eligibility for a NHS performer number.
• Current or previous experience of working in a UK-based salaried primary care dental service, with established clinical skills for providing oral health care to children and adults with special needs.
• Understanding and knowledge of dental outreach dentistry desirable, including domiciliary dentistry, mobile dentistry, dental screening and dental epidemiological fieldwork.
• Driving licence and daily access to a vehicle highly desirable.
• Committed to providing a high standard of oral healthcare and taking on leadership and management responsibilities.

Candidate Profile

We are seeking an enthusiastic and conscientious dentist with good clinical and interpersonal skills to join the Community Special Care Dental Service. The posts are part-time, available in Kingston, Richmond and Wandsworth. Candidates should be eager to work as part of a clinical team and achieve a high level of personal job satisfaction.