Dental Nurse Band 4

The Community Dental Service in Wiltshire and Swindon offers urgent care clinics for patients experiencing dental pain, special care clinics for adults and children with additional needs who are not able to access their treatment at a general dentist across four sites. The service also provides hospital sessions in Salisbury, Swindon and Bath.

You must be a car driver, with access to a vehicle to carry out the role. You may also be required to work at other Dental Clinics. This role includes weekend and bank holiday working on a rota basis. The post holder will be required to work 08:30–17:00, with one hour for lunch, five days per week.

The post holder will be a member of the Clinical Dental Team. The Dental Team provides emergency and special care for a wide range of patients across Wiltshire. The post holder will support the dental officer with a range of dental treatment for urgent care patients in severe pain who do not have a dentist and referred patients with special/additional needs.

Urgent care patients may require special attention due to culture, faith and religion, language barriers, understanding of expectation of treatment provided, active symptoms such as pain, phobia and anxiety. Special care patients will require specialist care due to complex medical conditions, physical or learning disabilities or mental health problems which exclude them from having treatment in the General Dental Service.

The post holder will be required to work to a flexible shift pattern which will include weekends and Bank Holidays. STAR values: Service, Teamwork, Ambition and Respect are a guiding principle in our work to deliver joined up services to our local community. The post holder will support the team in delivering high quality dental care.

• To comply with the GDC standards and Scope of Practice.
• To comply with GWH Trust Policies & CDS Local Operating Procedures.
• To maintain their own clinical and professional development in dental nursing and participate in annual appraisal.
• Maintain effective communication and professional relationships with patients, relatives, colleagues and other members of the public.
• To liaise with other health professionals including schools, nursing homes and hospital departments.
• To provide and receive complex and sensitive patient related medical information, including identifying barriers to communication and actions to overcome them (e.g., contacting Language Line for non-English speaking patients and carers).
• Provide pre- and post-operative advice on dental care to patients.
• To take responsibility for Health & Safety and Fire inspection checklists; assist in development, implementation and review of health & safety risk assessments and safe systems of work.
• Prepare the dental surgery and conduct chair side activity for dental treatment.
• Input patient-related information into the SFD IT system as directed by the Dentist.
• Receive patients into the treatment room and assist the dentist during clinical procedures.
• Maintain decontamination and infection control in line with CDS Infection Control LOP and decontamination protocols.
• Maintain and request stock levels, ensuring stock/emergency drugs are within expiry date and materials are stored appropriately.
• Check invoices for incoming stock and materials.
• Act as chaperone and witness for the dentist.
• Provide dental nurse cover for clinics, sometimes at short notice.
• Take part in regular audits as appropriate.
• Undertake other or additional duties commensurate with the grade as directed by the Dental Nurse Team Manager and maintain necessary skills through training.
• Carry out duties away from base clinic including domiciliary visits, dental epidemiology surveys, day surgery under general anaesthetic in acute hospital settings, conscious sedation sessions and dental health education programmes.
• Work with the dentist using manual handling aids including a hoist and keep up to date with manual handling training.
• Ensure compliance with GWH Trust arrangements for mandatory training.
• Take responsibility for enhanced continuing professional development (CPD) to meet General Dental Council (GDC) / Council for the Regulation of Healthcare Professionals requirements — 50 hours verifiable in a 5-year cycle.
• Ensure annual registration with the GDC.

• Qualified registered Dental Nurse with excellent clinical, communication, organisational and interpersonal skills.
• Must be a car driver with access to a vehicle and prepared to work at other clinics; weekend and bank holiday work on a rota.
• Flexible in working patterns; typical hours 08:30–17:00, five days per week.

• Occasional exposure to unpleasant conditions; working in confined spaces in patient homes; potential for verbal aggression.
• Frequent contact with body fluids, blood and saliva.
• Regular travel to other clinics to maintain service coverage; driving required during working hours.
• May require manual handling and operation of dental equipment across domiciliary, radiography, sedation, epidemiology and clinic settings.

Note: This job description is not exhaustive and duties may be amended in discussion with the post holder.