Senior Restorative Dental Therapist

University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust; Hempstalls; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

University Hospitals NHS Trust is seeking a Senior Dental Hygienist/Therapist to lead preventative services for Regional Head & Neck Cancer patients in the outpatient department and ward. This role supports pre-treatment care, restorative planning, and multidisciplinary collaboration.

You will supervise/restorative care, provide periodontal treatment, impressions, and lead ROHE clinics while maintaining CPD and GDC registration.

Qualifications

• Degree or Diploma in Dental Hygiene & Therapy (BSc)
• General Dental Council (GDC) Registration
• Portfolio of certified/professional development activity

Responsibilities

• Provide dental hygiene care to a wide range of patients
• Lead Restorative Oral Health Education for Head & Neck Cancer patients
• Carry out dental treatment under prescription from Restorative Consultants
• Prescribe radiographs and interpret film views
• Carry out scale-and-root debridement and manage periodontal disease
• Maintain CPD in line with GDC requirements

Skills

Communication skills

Confidentiality

Prioritisation

Leadership

Education

BSc in Dental Hygiene & Therapy

Job description

As a Senior Dental hygienist / therapist within the Restorative dental department you will help lead and deliver the dental related preventative services for the Regional Head & Neck Cancer patients treated within the outpatient department and ward. This will involve care of this patient group before, during and after their cancer treatment. This will include the delivery of pre treatment care to the prescription of the consultants within the department including preventive advice, periodontal treatment, restoration placement and impression taking. As a Senior Dental hygienist / Dental therapist you will lead the Restorative oral health education clinics.

Main duties of the job

You will help provide services for complex multidisciplinary patients requiring care from restorative dentistry working with orthodontic and maxillofacial colleagues in relation to their planning, treatment delivery and maintenance. This will involve treatment of patients with complex hypodontia, adult cleft lip and palate and facial trauma who receive complex restorative dental care and dental implant based rehabilitation.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• To maintain Continuing Professional Development in line with the General Dental Council Regulations, in order to fulfil personal training needs.
• To be a member of British Association of Dental Hygienists and Dental Therapists
• To carry out dental treatment under prescription from the Restorative Consultants
• Provide dental hygiene care to a wide range of patients
• Manage Head and neck cancer patients and their relatives/ carers at various stages of their treatment pathway including counselling patients on the dental effects of their recent diagnosis and treatment
• Obtain a detailed dental history from patients and evaluate their medical history
• Carry out a clinical examination within their competence
• Complete periodontal examination and charting and use indices to screen and monitor periodontal disease
• Diagnose and treatment plan within their competence
• Prescribe radiographs
• Interpret various film views used in the department
• Plan the delivery of care for patients
• Give appropriate patient advice
• Provide preventive oral care to patients and liaise with dentists over the treatment of caries, periodontal disease and tooth wear
• Undertake supragingival and subgingival scaling and root surface debridement using manual and powered instruments
• Use appropriate anti-microbial therapy to manage plaque related diseases
• Adjust restored surfaces in relation to periodontal treatment
• Apply topical treatments and fissure sealants
• Give patients advice on how to stop smoking
• Take intra and extra-oral photographs
• Give infiltration and inferior dental block analgesia
• Place temporary dressings and re-cement crowns with temporary cement
• Place rubber dam
• Take impressions
• Care of implants and treatment of peri-implant tissues
• Identify anatomical features, recognise abnormalities and interpret common pathology
• Carry out oral cancer screening
• If necessary, refer patients to other healthcare professionals
• Keep full, accurate and contemporaneous patient records
• If working on prescription, vary the detail but not the direction of the prescription according to patient needs. For example, the number of surfaces to be restored or the material to be used.
• Carry out direct restorations on primary and secondary teeth
• Carry out pulpotomies on primary teeth
• Extract primary teeth
• Place pre-formed crowns on primary teeth
• Co-ordinate/ lead team delivering ‘Restorative Oral Health Education’ (ROHE) for the departments Head and Neck Cancer patients on the ward and related departments.
• Ensure equipment used is in suitable working condition and raise any concerns.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Degree or Diploma in Dental Hygiene & Therapy BSc
• General Dental Council (GDC) Registration
• Portfolio of certified /accredited professional development activity undertaken in relevant areas

Desirable criteria

• Additional relevant post qualifications

Experience

Essential criteria

• Must have at least 4 years post qualifying experience in dentistry.

Desirable criteria

• Evidence of working with medically compromised patients, children and patients with learning disabilities
• Experience of treating periodontal patients.
• Experience of Head and Neck oncology patients

Skills and Knowledge

Essential criteria

• Knowledge of confidentiality / data protection act
• Excellent communication skills both verbal & written
• Ability to prioritise appropriately and work with minimal supervision

Desirable criteria

• Computer literate
• Understanding of policies & procedures
• Knowledge of hospital / practice computer systems

Aptitudes

Essential criteria

• Take responsibility & accountability for delivering their agreed objectives
• Evidence of leadership within a team
• Organisational experience & forward planning
• Ability to adapt to change

Desirable criteria

• Flexibility of working hours