Dental Technician (Orthodontics)

Bristol Nhs Foundation Trust; West of England; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust's Dental Production Laboratories invites applications for a Dental Technologist to join the Orthodontic Laboratory team at Bristol Dental Hospital. The post involves design, planning and construction of custom dental/oro-facial devices across fixed and removable prosthodontics, orthodontics and maxillofacial surgery.

Applicants must be fully registered with the General Dental Council and hold a recognised qualification in dental technology.

Qualifications

• Essential: Registered dental technician with GDC and relevant degree.
• Experience in dental technology and continuing professional development.
• Willingness to adopt CAD/CAM and digital workflows.

Responsibilities

• Construct models for diagnostic planning and appliance fabrication.
• Assemble and adapt custom dental appliances across labs.
• Analyse prescriptions and redesign plans as needed.
• Scan models and import intra-oral scans for digital planning.
• Maintain accurate laboratory records for audits and compliance.

Skills

Judgment

Plan workload

Keyboard skills

Communication with clinicians

Education

BSc/Hons / Diploma in Dental Technology or equivalent

GDC registration as Dental Technician

Evidence of CPD

Tools

CAD/CAM techniques

Job description

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen within our Dental Production Laboratories for a forward-thinking Dental Technologist to work with our Orthodontic Laboratory team at Bristol Dental Hospital. The post holder is responsible for the design, planning and construction of an extensive range of custom-made dental/oro-facial devices within the orthodontic laboratory within the Bristol Dental Hospital - Production Laboratories service, comprising Fixed and Removeable Prosthodontics, Orthodontics and Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery. The post holder will be expected to develop new skills in line with experience, new practices, qualifications and modernisation (digital workflows) and will also have a commitment to continuing professional development. Applications are invited from Dental Technicians who are fully registered with the General Dental Council and hold a recognised academic qualification in dental technology. We encourage applications from dental technicians whether your experience and background is based in a commercial dental laboratory or NHS hospital setting. This is an exciting time to join the team at Bristol Dental Hospital, as we embark on a journey of modernisation, which has seen recent investment in state-of-the‑art digital planning software, intraoral scanning and 3D printing technologies.

Main duties of the job

• To construct models for diagnostic treatment planning and appliance fabrication
• To construct, repair and adapt a wide range of custom-made dental/oro-facial appliances within the designated laboratory specialism.
• Be familiar with a range of transfer records, articulators and occlusal techniques.
• Analyse treatment plans and technical prescriptions, redesigning treatment plan as and when circumstances dictate.
• Scan models and import intra-oral scans for digital archiving and associated treatment planning/simulation.
• Order stock on the Trust system.
• Maintain accurate laboratory records for audit purposes and compliance with UK Medical Devices Regulation.
• Carry out basic maintenance of laboratory equipment.
• Assist with research projects, surveys & audits of the service as required.
• Following laboratory policies and procedures.
• Liaise directly with clinicians and patients to provide technical advice, discuss case requirements and ensure the delivery of custom dental appliances, while addressing barriers to understanding when communicating with patients.
• To communicate effectively and engage with consultants and other healthcare staff.
• Regularly required to maintain prolonged concentration throughout the fabrication of appliances and models.

About us

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust brings together more than 28,000 staff to deliver over 160 clinical services across thirteen hospital locations, operating from three main sites at Southmead, Bristol city centre and Weston. With an annual turnover of £2.3 billion, we are now one of the largest NHS trusts in the United Kingdom. Our hospitals are spread across Bristol and Weston, join us and you can enjoy the very best of both worlds; city living within a stone's throw of the countryside or beside the seaside, both with easy access to all that the South West has to offer. Bristol NHS Foundation Trust values all people as individuals. As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application in order to ensure we're meeting our pledge

Job responsibilities

For a more detailed job description, main responsibilities, and person specification, please refer to the job description document attached to this vacancy.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• BSc (Hons)/BTEC Diploma/HNC in Dental Technology or equivalent
• Registration with the General Dental Council as a Dental Technician
• Evidence of continuing professional development

Knowledge and Experience

Essential

• Theoretical and practical knowledge of a range of specialised technical procedures within appropriate discipline
• Understanding of oral and facial anatomy; tooth eruption, morphology and clinical charting
• Understanding the varied nature of the materials, various acrylics, silicone materials and metals and how they work together

Desirable

• Use of computer aided design & computer aided manufacture (CAD/CAM) techniques relevant to dental technology

Skills and Abilities

Essential

• Good judgment skills are required for analysing and interpreting laboratory prescriptions
• Plan and prioritise own workload and use their own initiative to solve problems with the support of the more senior laboratory staff
• Prolonged computer use requiring keyboard skills for word processing
• Ability to communicate effectively with clinicians to manage non-routine aspects of appliance fabrication

Aptitudes

Essential

• Ability to work within a team
• Self-motivated
• Good interpersonal skills
• Able to develop or suggest improvements within the team
• Willingness to learn and develop new skills / appliance types and designs and to follow suitable pathways of continuous professional development
• Values and respects others, treats everyone as an individual, non-judgemental

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab). From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust is an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce.