About this role
Job summary
Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust Community Dental Service is looking for an Advanced Dental Therapist to join our Community Dental Service Team.
You will be part of a team delivering high quality dental care to people of all ages and from a diverse range of cultural and social backgrounds including adults and children, individuals with additional needs, and patients with learning and physical disabilities.
The successful candidate will deliver dental therapy services within our community clinics which will include providing restorative and preventive care using behavioural management techniques including inhalation sedation for patients with multiple, complex needs.
Our service is delivered to patients across Liverpool, Sefton and Knowsley and as such, you may be required to support clinics across the geographical area.
Main duties of the job
The post holder is to provide clinical, restorative and preventive care using behavioural management techniques including inhalation sedation where appropriate to treatment plans provided by specialist dentists/ clinical leads for patients with multiple/complex/highly complex needs who have been referred to the dental service by primary care dentists, hospital consultants, GP's or other health care professionals.
To provide specific, tailored, healthcare advice and instruction to child and adult patients with multiple/complex/highly complex needs and their carers.
About us
Mersey Care is one of the largest trusts providing physical health and mental health services in the North West, serving more than 1.4 million people across our region and are also commissioned for services that cover the North West, North Wales and the Midlands.
We offer specialist inpatient and community services that support physical and mental health and specialist inpatient mental health, learning disability, addiction and brain injury services. Mersey Care is one of only three trusts in the UK that offer high secure mental health facilities.
At the heart of all we do is our commitment to 'perfect care' - care that is safe, effective, positively experienced, timely, equitable and efficient. We support our staff to do the best job they can and work alongside service users, their families, and carers to design and develop future services together. We're currently delivering a programme of organisational and service transformation to significantly improve the quality of the services we provide and safely reduce cost as we do so.
Flexible working requests will be considered for all roles.
Job description Job responsibilities
Plan the delivery of care for patients with multiple/complex/highly complex needs.
Tailor and provide appropriate patient advice
Provide preventative oral health care and treatment to patients and liaise with dentists over the treatment of caries, periodontal disease, tooth wear and other oral conditions referring the patient to a dentist for a more detailed Oral Health Assessment or review where necessary
Be alert and manage any significant changes in the patients (either physical, medical or mental condition) either during treatment or over a course of treatment and inform the referring dentist of any such changes or causes for concern
Plan and organise the delivery of care for individual patients to incorporate provision of restorative care preventative care and advice over the minimum number of visits
To be aware and report concerns appropriately if there are any child or adult protection concerns
Will be responsible for the supervision of the salaried dental staff members who are working under the direction of the post holder
Will be required to provide supervision and mentoring to student dental nurses and BDS undergraduates, on placement from Liverpool Dental Hospital or other approved organisations particularly in chair side skills and in communication with patients and carers.
Responsible for working autonomously in the provision of dental care and advising patients with multiple/complex/highly complex needs following referral from a dentist.
Responsible for liaising with reerring dentist, who may not be on site, regarding on-going changes.
Responsible for deciding and providing the most appropriate form of behaviour management appropriate to the patients needs.
Responsible for choosing the most appropriate method and materials for restoring a tooth.
Responsible for selecting most appropriate mode of delivery of local anaesthetic and for selecting most appropriate drug.
Liaise with other health professionals and relevant organisations regarding patient care
Prepare and provide preventive oral health care plans and treatment to patients within the limits of practice set out for Dental Therapists in the current GDC Standards and Scope of Practice.
Provide individual, specialised advice to other health professionals, carers and support workers.
Provide specialised care and advice to patients referred by a Specialist/Senior Dentist or Dentist.
Carry out clinical examination of patients, diagnosis and treatment planning within the therapists competence.
Evaluate and update any changes in the patients medical history, which can be multiple/complex/highly complex and assess the patients fitness to receive dental treatment on a visit by visit basis
Use indices to screen and monitor periodontal disease
Prescribe radiographs and take, process and interpret various film views used in dental practice
Provide care to treatment plans provided by specialist/senior dentists or dentists for patients with multiple/complex/highly complex needs. This will include care for patients who have been referred to the dental service by primary care dentists, hospital consultants or other health care professionals
Prepare and provide specific appropriate oral health care advice and instruction to child and adult patients who may have multiple/complex/highly complex needs and also their carers.
Provide specialised complex clinical, restorative and preventive care utilising choosing appropriate methods to ensure that the patients dental pain and anxiety are managed appropriately.
Select an appropriate form of behaviour management for the patient within the limits of the therapists individual training and competency (e.g. use of acclimatisation, desensitisation, tell/show/do, inhalation sedation (A postgraduate qualification), or a combination of approaches.
Responsible for the safe administration of inhalation sedation to patients, having the skills and autonomy to determine the appropriate level of sedation, dose administered and exposure time.
Responsible for the recovery and discharge of the patient following sedation Responsible for completing risk assessing and hoisting non-weight bearing patients safely in and out of the dental chair
Select the type of restorative procedure to be carried out, ensuring that any issues arising are highlighted and reported to the dentist to enable referrals to be reviewed and reassessed.
Vary the detail but not the direction of a prescription if required. Can change the number of tooth surfaces required to restore and select appropriate material used dependant on the findings during treatment
Liaise with dentists over the treatment of caries, periodontal disease, tooth wear and other oral conditions referring the patient to a dentist for a more detailed Oral Health Assessment or review where appropriate
Person Specification
Qualifications Essential
BSc in Dental Therapy or Diploma in Dental Therapy Post graduate qualification in Inhalation sedation. Qualified to administer inhalation sedation Specialist Training and experience of specific patient groups with multiple/complex/highly complex needs to Masters Level or equivalent. Demonstration of an up to date and relevant CPD portfolio Evidence of current GDC registration Appropriate dental indemnity insurance
Desirable
Oral Health Education and Oral Health Promotion Diploma ECDL or similar IT training
Skills Essential
Excellent behavioural management and communication skills Ability to relate to a wide range of patients including those who are anxious, have special needs and complex medical conditions Ability to work autonomously, adaptable and resourceful Good organisational skills Able to work as part of a team
Desirable
Understanding of Clinical Governance Flexible approach towards organising workload
Knowledge/Experience Essential
Proven and demonstrable post qualification Dental Therapist experience of working with child and adult patients with multiple/complex/highly complex needs Experience/involvement in health needs assessment Proven relevant experience of working in a dental team carrying out clinical dentistry using skill mix Experience in administering inhalation sedation and has been signed off as competent to undertake inhalation sedation Able to deal with patients who have multiple/ complex/highly complex needs and experience of using behaviour management techniques in children and adults with multiple/complex/highly complex needs Detailed knowledge of a broad range of complex medical conditions and an understanding of their impact on the provision of dental care Knowledge of relevant medico legal issues impacting on care provision such as consent and parental responsibility Experience in using dental software applications such as Dentally Knowledge of relevant health education messages relevant to the specific needs of patients and the evidence base supporting this information Communication skills able to communicate with the very young, adults with learning disability Aware of ways to overcome communication barriers for those with sensory impairment Organisational and time management - able to prioritise and organise clinical
Desirable
Able to use IT applications (Microsoft Office Suite) Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary team to provide quality integrated care
Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details Employer name Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust
Address Old Swan Dental Clinic
Crystal Close
Liverpool
L13 2GA
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.merseycare.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)