Dental Nurse

University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust; Poole; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 32,000; Full time

Job summary

University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a qualified Dental Nurse to join the Outpatient Treatment Centre team at Poole Hospital. You will provide chairside support, work within a multidisciplinary team, and contribute to safe and compassionate patient care throughout the treatment journey.

The role requires GDC registration, infection prevention, and strong communication skills. You will work in a busy Treatment Centre, with opportunities for professional development and

Qualifications

• Registered Dental Nurse with GDC registration.
• Oral health certificate or equivalent.
• Commitment to infection prevention and patient care.

Responsibilities

• Provide high-quality chairside support to dentists and clinicians during outpatient and day-case dental procedures.
• Run patient-facing clinics using advanced knowledge in maxillofacial, head and neck oncology and restorative dentistry.
• Prepare surgical environment and equipment for clinical treatments.
• Assist in medicines management and maintain stock levels and documentation.
• Support learning and development for staff and students within the Treatment Centre.

Skills

Dental nursing

GDC registration

Infection control

Communication

Organisation

Education

GDC Register registration

Oral health certificate

Job description

As University Hospitals Dorset we are a three site acute trust with ‘university hospital’ status through our partnership with Bournemouth University, working with an annual budget of £730m.

We offer highly regarded health services, employing some 10,000 staff. Our ambitious £500m transformation programme is well on the way to delivering state-of-the-art facilities over the next two years to meet the current and future healthcare needs of the populations we serve.

In an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with over seven miles of sandy beaches you’ll find inspirational opportunities to achieve your perfect work/life balance. With the New Forest and the Purbecks on our doorstep, we’re also less than three hours from London by road or train. The thriving towns of Poole, Bournemouth and Christchurch give way to idyllic villages and unspoilt landscapes just minutes from our hospitals.

We believe that having a diverse workforce, and allowing people to be themselves, is essential in ensuring we offer an inclusive, welcoming and productive place to work.

We especially welcome applications from minority groups in the community who may be underrepresented in our workforce.

At UHD our active staff network groups are the Women's Network, Black Asian Minority Ethnic Group (BAME), Pride Network, European (EU), Pro Ability Staff Network, and the Armed Forces Support Group.

As a Trust we are proudly signed up to the Disability Confident and Armed Forces Covenant guaranteed interview schemes.

We are aware that some candidates may choose to use AI tools to support the preparation of their application. While this is not discouraged, we kindly remind applicants that submissions should remain an honest and accurate representation of your own experience and suitability. Personal integrity is an important part of the recruitment process.

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a motivated and enthusiastic Dental Nurse to join the dedicated team within the Outpatient Treatment Centre at University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust.

Working as part of a multidisciplinary team, you will provide high-quality chairside support to dentists and clinicians delivering a range of outpatient and day case dental procedures. You will play a key role in ensuring patients receive safe, effective and compassionate care throughout their treatment journey.

The successful candidate will be a qualified and GDC registered Dental Nurse with excellent communication and organisational skills. You will have a patient centred approach, be able to work effectively under pressure and demonstrate a commitment to maintaining high standards of infection prevention, clinical governance and patient care.

This role offers the opportunity to work within a supportive environment, contributing to a wide range of dental services while developing your skills and experience within a busy Treatment Centre setting.

This role requires Registration as a Dental Care Professional on the GDC Register
Base Locations: Poole Hospital
Interview date: Monday, 23rd November 2026

Main duties of the job

Work as a registered Dental Nurse with specialist knowledge of maxillofacial, head and neck oncology and restorative dentistry .

Using their advanced knowledge to run their own patient facing clinics .

To work closely with dental practitioners and other team members in the provision of high-quality care to patients , including children and those who may have a variety of special needs.

To be responsible for preparing the surg ical environment and equipment for clinical treatment s .

To participate in maintaining a high-quality service and proactively seeking to improve services through innovation, clinical governance, audits and quality improvements .

Assist in developing and maintaining a suitable and stimulating learning environment for the ongoing professional dev elopment of other staff and students.

Undertake medicines management duties within the scope of the Dental Nurse role, including the safe handling, storage, checking and documentation of medications, maintaining stock levels, monitoring expiry dates, supporting clinicians during the administration of medicines

Working for our organisation

UHD are investing, developing and transforming Trust services in line with the New Hospital Programme. As part of this, some services may move site this year or next, either temporarily or permanently. Recruiting Managers will be happy to answer any service-specific questions at interview.

If a role or service relocates as part of a planned move, excess mileage will not be reimbursed. Travel from home to the new work base will be classed as a normal commute. Any other changes will be managed under Trust or national terms and conditions.

UHD has active networks including Women’s, BAME, Pride, EU, Pro Ability, and Armed Forces. We support Disability Confident and Armed Forces Covenant interview schemes.

AI tools may be used, but applications must honestly reflect your own skills and experience. Integrity is key to our recruitment process.

For UHD employees, this fixed-term post will be offered as a secondment in line with the Trust’s Secondment Policy. Please speak with your line manager before applying.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see Job description and Person specification for further details.

Qualifications

• Registration as a Dental Care Professional on the GDC Register
• Oral health certificate
• Further knowledge and training in specialist areas e.g. maxillofacial, health promotion, implants or equivalent level of experience

Experience

• Experience of Maxillofacial Surgery within a hospital theatre setting.
• Experience supervising and teaching less experienced staff.
• Previous experience of LA surgical procedures
• Knowledge of Prosthetics and/or implantology work, craniofacial reconstruction
• Experience running nurse led clinics

Please note:

Staff recruited are expected to be available to work flexibly across all our Trust locations to meet service demands.

This advert may be closed early if sufficient applications are received.

COVID-19 vaccination remains the best way to protect yourself and our patients from the virus when working in our healthcare settings. Whilst this vaccination is not a condition of employment we do encourage our staff to get vaccinated.

Internal Candidates: staff employed prior to merger who voluntarily change jobs will be appointed to UHD terms and conditions.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.