Senior Dental Nurse

East Cheshire; Macclesfield; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 39,000; Part time

Job summary

East Cheshire NHS Trust is seeking a Band 5 Dental Nurse for Weston Community Dental Clinic in Macclesfield on a 22.5 hour week contract. The role includes leading the dental nursing team, supporting clinicians in Special Care Dentistry and Paediatric Exodontia, and assisting with procedures under GA or sedation.

You will manage workloads, maintain IPC standards, and liaise with external agencies as required.

Qualifications

• NEBDN Dental Nursing / NVQ Level 3 in Oral health Care or equivalent.
• GCSE English and Mathematics.
• Full General Dental Council Registration.
• Other post dental nursing qualifications (NVQ level 4 or above).

Responsibilities

• Lead dental nursing team including annual PDRs and HR issues as directed.
• Support Clinicians in Special Care Dentistry and Paediatric Exodontia.
• Lead during procedures undertaken under general anaesthesia.
• Ensure infection prevention and control across the service.
• Organise clinics and manage theatres and clinics.
• Identify urgent cases and triage referrals.

Skills

Leadership skills

Communication skills

Interpersonal skills

Time management

Dental nursing procedures

Safeguarding knowledge

Audit & report writing

COSHH knowledge

IT skills

Education

NEBDN Dental Nursing / NVQ Level 3 in Oral health Care or equivalent

GCSE English and Mathematics

Full General Dental Council Registration

Other post dental nursing qualifications (NVQ level 4 or above)

Tools

Dentally

MS Office

Job description

Main area Band 5 Dental Nurse Grade NHS AfC: Band 5 Contract Permanent: Subject to job matching Hours Part time - 22.5 hours per week (Wednesday, Thursday, Friday) Job ref 209-A-26-8117535-A

Site Weston Community Dental Clinic Town Macclesfield Salary £32,073 - £39,043 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 15/10/2026 23:59

It is all about the people at East Cheshire NHS Trust. We have a real sense of community, and our values are truly embedded into everything we do, ensuring we are a great and inclusive place to work. You will be supported, developed and empowered throughout your career with us. Come and join us, where you can play your part in helping us deliver outstanding care and improving the health of all the people we serve.

Job overview

*Subject to job matching*

We welcome applications from Graduate visa holders; it is important to note that you must have a minimum of 12 months before this expires at the start of your employment for training and operational reasons.

Please be advised we are unable to provide Skilled Worker Visa Sponsorship to non-UK residents.

The senior dental nurse be responsible for the leadership of the dental nursing team including the undertaking of annual PDRs, 1:1 meetings and HR Issues as directed by the business manager and Clinical Lead.

To manage and prioritise own work load.

To support Clinicians in a specialist Dental Service delivering high quality dental care inSpecial Care Dentistry and Paediatric exodontia.

To assist in the delivery of all dental treatment with General Anaesthetic or dental sedation as required.

Responsibility for ensuring high standard of infection prevention and control is carried out and maintained throughout the service in adherence to policies.
To lead and provide support/assistance for Clinicians in the specialisms provided by the department, in both primary clinical and acute theatre settings

Hours: 22.5 hours per week

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday

Main duties of the job

• To communicate with outside agencies, e.g. social services, school nurses, GP practices, other hospital services, theatres, wards.
• To provide assistance and support to Clinicians in primary and secondary caresettings – clinics and hospital theatres.
• To be the lead Dental Nurse during procedures undertaken during general anaesthesia as required in Special Care Dentistry and Paediatric Exodontia ie scrub nurse.
• To identify urgent cases and triage referrals as required.
• To effectively communicate and respond appropriately to particular groups of clients e.g. anxious children, vulnerable adults, clients with learning difficulties.
• To organise and manage dental procedures to be carried out in a specialised theatre setting, clinic or domiciliary care.
• To provide assistance and support to all clinical staff including assisting during procedures with the adjunct of dental sedation or general anaesthetics as required.
• To set up, prepare, assist in and close down the dental setting ensuring infection prevention and control (IPC) policies and procedures are adhered to.
• To provide pre and post-operative advice and instruction for specialist dental procedures; e.g. sedation, general anaesthesia and health education.
• Process and store dental instruments in accordance with HTM01-05 and standard op.

Working for our organisation

We are committed to providing the best quality integrated care to our patients. To achieve this aim we need highly motivated staff who are united by common values and behaviours.

We believe our workforce is our greatest asset and we actively support our staff to develop their capabilities to the full, with a variety of learning and development opportunities.

Whether you are just starting out in your career or are looking to use your skills and experience in a new role, East Cheshire NHS Trust is the right employer for you.

Please be aware that this post requires an Enhanced DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check with barred lists, the cost of which is payable by the successful candidate. If you have lived or worked abroad for 6 months or more in the last 5 years you will need to obtain an overseas police clearance.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome all applications irrespective of age, disability, gender, sexual orientation, race or religion. The Trust is a Disability Confident Leader and as such, applicants with disabilities will be offered an interview providing they meet the minimum criteria for the post (outlined in the Person Specification).

We understand that some applicants may choose to use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to assist in preparing their application. While this is not discouraged, it is essential to personalise this information, particularly your supporting information section as these tools cannot fully grasp the context or requirements of the job you’re applying for. We kindly remind candidates that all submissions must be truthful and accurately reflect your own experiences and suitability for this role. Personal integrity and authenticity are central to our recruitment process and being a member of East Cheshire NHS Trust.

Person specification

Specific Job Requirment

• Have an understanding of Dentally and Key Performance Indicators
• To cover clinics in other areas as required to ensure business continuity
• To work within the General Dental Council scope of practice guidelines for Dental Nurses and those with post qualifications

Further Information

• Please provide any additional relevant information to support your application. Please note that this is a non-scoring question

Qualifications

• NEBDN Dental Nursing / NVQ Level 3 in Oral health Care or equivalent
• GCSE English and Mathematics
• Full General Dental Council Registration
• Other post dental nursing qualifications (equivalent to NVQ level 4 or above)

Knowledge & Skills

• Ability to undertake dental nursing procedures with under pinning knowledge and skills ie knowledge of a range of dental procedures; acquired through experience and with further training in specialist areas
• Demonstrable knowledge of current Department of Health guidelines HTM01-05
• Good Leadership skills
• Excellent communication, negotiation and interpersonal skills
• Good organisational and time management skills
• Ability to work under pressure within clinically templated time frames
• Evidence of continual professional development relevant to the post
• Working knowledge of safeguarding vulnerable adults and children
• Carrying out audits, action plans and report writing
• Carrying out risk assessments
• IT skills clinically inputting onto dental software eg Dentally patient charting, clinical notes, communications, wait lists
• Undertaken further training in computing skills ie using MS applications word/excel/power point/ teams

Experience

• Working with and assisting in the delivery of dental treatment to adult and paediatric patients with complex medical and care needs.
• Working with children and vulnerable adults
• Assisting and supporting paediatric patients undergoing routine dental treatment eg exodontia
• Undertaking the decontamination process of dental instruments
• Understanding of COSHH and maintaining COSHH files
• Undertaking of audits and report writing
• Working in primary and secondary care settings
• Assisting during treatment in an acute theatre setting
• Experience of undertaking appraisals.

Other Role Requirements

• Please refer to the Job Description and Person Specification for further role requirements.

We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome all applications irrespective of age, disability, gender, sexual orientation, race or religion. The Trust is a Disability Confident Leader and as such, applicants with disabilities will be offered an interview providing they meet the minimum criteria for the post (outlined in the Person Specification). In order to facilitate applications from all members of the community the Trust is able to offer services including Braille Applications and Interpreting Services.

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.