Advanced Dental Therapist

Health New Zealand - Te Whatu Ora - Capital, Coast & Hutt Valley District; Upper Hutt; On-site; NZD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Health New Zealand - Te Whatu Ora – Capital, Coast & Hutt Valley District invites applications for an Advanced Dental and Oral Health Therapist. The role balances approximately 30% formal clinical leadership activities supporting the Clinical Director and 70% practising clinically to assess, manage and improve patients’ oral health.

As an experienced therapist, you will develop your clinical capability and mentor recent graduates, while modelling DHB values and contributing to a positive

Qualifications

• Clinical understanding suited to their development stage.
• Ability to coach, mentor and teach others.
• Advanced knowledge of Infection Prevention Control.
• Attends and contributes to relevant clinical and team meetings.
• Values clinical consultation, prevention, oral health management and leadership.

Responsibilities

• Lead clinical leadership activities supporting the Clinical Director.
• Provide safe, clinically effective assessment and intervention for patients.
• Continue to develop clinical capability and support newer graduates.
• Model DHB values and contribute to a positive workplace culture.

Skills

Clinical understanding

Coaching, mentoring

Infection prevention control

Team meeting participation

Clinical leadership

Job description

Jora New Zealand will close on 9th September 2026. Thank you for being with us, we are cheering you on as you continue your career journey.

Health New Zealand - Te Whatu Ora - Capital, Coast & Hutt Valley District – Upper Hutt, North Island

Location: Naenae Hub Clinic (Hutt Valley)

Contract: Fixed Term (3 Years), Full Time

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is firmly grounded in the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and is dedicated to serving all New Zealanders. Through integration and collaboration, we’re building a health system underpinned by partnership, equity, sustainability, whānau-centred care, and excellence.

About the Role

Please note that this role is only available for current Health New Zealand / Te Whatu Ora staff. Any non-Te Whatu Ora applications will be declined.

Advanced Dental and Oral Health Therapists spend (approximately) 30% of their time in formal clinical leadership activities supporting the Clinical Director in maintaining and improving the quality of clinical services provided by Bee Healthy.

The other (approximately) 70% of their time working clinically as a Dental or Oral Health Therapist. As experienced Therapists, they provide safe and clinically effective assessment and intervention to manage, maintain, and improve the oral health of patients, continue to develop their own clinical capability, and support more recent graduates to develop their capabilities.

Advanced Dental and Oral Health Therapists role model DHB values, contribute to a positive workplace culture, and encourage others to do the same.

About the Team/Service Location

The Bee Healthy Regional Dental Service provides dental services for children in the greater Wellington region from school and community based dental hub clinics. You will be well supported by our clinical leadership team that includes a Clinical Director, Community Dentists and Advanced Therapists. Our service has Dental Therapy Assistants assisting our therapists on a 1:1 basis.

About you

• A level of clinical understanding that is suited to their stage of clinical development.
• Demonstrates the ability to coach, mentor and teach others
• Advanced knowledge pf Infection Prevention Control
• Attends and contributes to relevant clinical and team meetings
• Someone well-suited to the role will place a high value on clinical consultation, prevention, oral health management and clinical leadership.

Working at Health New Zealand

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is ‘the weaving of wellness’. We're dedicated to ensuring excellent healthcare for the people of Aotearoa/New Zealand.

Our people are at the heart of everything we do. Health New Zealand are committed to being good employers and honouring our equal employment opportunity obligations. We embrace diversity and welcome application from all people, including all gender identities, ages, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and disability. A workforce that is diverse and inclusive means that we are better positioned to understand and service our community. We are pro-equity health organisation, with a particular focus on Māori, Pacific Peoples, and the Disability Community.

We will review applications as received and may proceed with the recruitment process, before the closing date of this advertisement.