Senior Dental Officer

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Senior Dental Officer (Band B) to join the Community Dental Service covering South of Tyne and Wear. This post would suit a dentist who is committed to delivering highquality oral healthcare within a friendly, supportive, and multidisciplinary environment.

We are seeking an enthusiastic and caring dentist with strong interpersonal and clinical skills to provide care to a diverse patient population. The role involves delivering general dental treatment to individuals who may find accessing traditional dental services challenging. There is a strong emphasis on anxiety management, paediatric dentistry, and special care dentistry. The post holder will also be required to work flexibly and travel across multiple clinical sites as part of service delivery.

Main duties of the job

• Provide autonomous clinical care and leadership as a Senior Dental Officer within Community Dental Services.
• Assess, treatment plan, and manage patients requiring care under conscious sedation and general anaesthesia (GA), including those with complex needs.
• Deliver high-quality Special Care Dentistry for patients with medical, behavioural, or social complexities.
• Lead and support sedation and GA services in line with national guidance and clinical governance standards.
• Manage pain and anxiety using a range of techniques, including behavioural approaches and advanced sedation methods.
• Work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team, ensuring effective communication with patients, carers, and healthcare professionals.
• Maintain high standards of clinical governance, record-keeping, consent, and risk management.
• Manage a complex clinical workload, supporting service capacity and waiting-list pressures.
• Contribute to service development, audit, quality improvement, and evidence-based practice.
• Support efficient use of resources and maintain responsibility for clinical equipment and safety standards.
• Participate in teaching, mentoring, and professional development, maintaining required competencies and appraisal processes.

About us

Please add your telephone number to your application form so we can contact you quickly if required.

One Team One Trust - There are many reasons to work at our Trust. From our commitment to putting people first to our accessible services and award winning teams. We have a passion for research, innovation and tackling inequalities. We are committed to respect, fairness and civility and promote a compassionate, caring and positive culture / working environment.

We welcome all applications irrespective of peoples race, disability, gender, sexual orientation, religion/belief, age, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy/maternity and in particular those from under- represented groups. Looking after our workforces health and wellbeing is a priority for us. We also provide access to high quality education, training, career progression and support. Flexible working is supported via our Flexible Working Policy.

The Trust employs around 8,746 people and provides a range of hospital services to a local community of around 430,000 residents. We also provide a range of more specialised services outside this area. We offer our staff outstanding benefits - Fitness Centre (SRH), libraries at both hospital sites, chaplaincy support and access to a Care Co-ordinator to help staff with childcare arrangements.If you use AI, and it poses a risk to the integrity of your individual recruitment process, we may withdraw your application at any stage of the process.

Job description

Job responsibilities

PLEASE REFER TO THE ATTACHED JOB DESCRIPTION FOR FULL DUTIES OF THE ROLE.

This is a clinical post providing high quality dental care to patients in the Community Dental service within Gateshead, South Tyneside and Sunderland. The post holder will work 5 days per week and be expected to meet the competencies for a Band B dentist.

The service provides dental care for adults and children with varied Special Care/ Paediatric additional needs or disabilities, including medically compromised patients who require treatment in specialised setting. The post will be based in one of our dental clinics but travel between other areas with the service is required.

You must have a Bachelor of Dental Surgery or equivalent, be fully registered with the UK General Dental Council, have completed foundation training or equivalent and be eligible for the National Dental Performers List without conditions or restrictions.

You will be able to demonstrate relevant clinical experience and have evidence in a portfolio of continuing professional development. You must also have excellent communication skills, and be sensitive to the needs of relevant patient groups

This post is subject to enhanced DBS disclosure.

Person Specification

Physical Skills

Essential

• Must be a car driver with valid driving licence and have access to transport with appropriate business insurance to travel throughout the trust, to meet the needs of the service.
• Ability to carry out the full range of dental skills.
• Ability to sit or stand for extended periods whilst undertaking dental assessment and treatment.
• Ability to manoeuvre patients using mechanical aids.

Skills and Knowledge

Essential

• Excellent communication/ interpersonal skills.
• Sensitive to the needs of patient groups.
• Compassionate, treats others with dignity and respect.
• Committed, motivated and enthusiastic team player with the ability to work unsupervised.
• Supportive, proactive and accessible.
• Effective leadership skills and behaviours.
• Up to date knowledge and skills in routine oral care.
• Excellent organisational and time management skills.
• IT skills including EPR eg Sensei.
• Ability to liaise and work with primary and secondary care providers.

Desirable

• Qualification in dental education / teaching.
• Evidence of management and administration experience and understanding management goals.
• Experience of line management.
• Knowledge of Dental Commissioning and provision of dentistry in NENC.

Qualifications

Essential

• Bachelor of Dental Surgery or equivalent.
• Full registration with the General Dental Council.
• Postgraduate qualification in Sedation, Special Care or Paediatric Dentistry.
• To be on NHS Englands National primary Care Performers List with conditions or restrictions.
• Foundation training or equivalent.
• Be able to complete enhanced DBS procedures.

Desirable

• Sedation Qualification.

Experience

Essential

• Experience of organizing, managing and running clinics and support staff.
• Broad Clinical Experience in routine oral health care and experience working in Salaried Dental Services and Special care patients.
• Experience in working with special needs and paediatric groups.
• Experience of General Anaesthesia.
• Experience working in Conscious Sedation.
• Experience of working in Secondary Care.
• Experience in participating in Clinical Audit & Quality Improvement Projects.
• Wide experience of Primary Dental Care.
• Competence in simple minor oral surgery procedures.

Desirable

• Teaching experience.
• Experience of line management or Qualification.

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

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

South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Wrekenton Health Centre

Springwell Road

Wrekenton

GATESHEAD

Tyne And Wear

NE9 7AD

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://www.stsft.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)

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