Advanced Dental Therapist

North Island - Wellington Hutt Valley; Upper Hutt; On-site; NZD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Health New Zealand operates the Bee Healthy Regional Dental Service in the Wellington region, delivering dental care across school and community hubs. The Advanced Dental and Oral Health Therapist role involves leading clinical activities for quality improvement while spending most time delivering direct patient care.

The role emphasizes coaching others, maintaining IPC standards, and participating in relevant clinical and team meetings as part of a supportive leadership framework.

Qualifications

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

Responsibilities

• Provide safe, clinically effective assessment and intervention for oral health.
• Support Clinical Director in maintaining and improving service quality.
• Develop own clinical capability and mentor recent graduates.
• Model Health NZ values and contribute to a positive workplace culture.

Skills

Clinical coaching

Infection prevention

Clinical leadership

Mentoring

Job description

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.

If you have any questions about the role, please contact [e-mail]