Advanced Dental Therapist

Job overview

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.

Detailed job description and main 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 patient’s 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 • therapist’s competence.

Evaluate and update any changes in the patient’s medical history, which can be multiple/complex/highly complex and assess the patient’s 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 patient’s dental pain and anxiety are managed appropriately.

Select an appropriate form of behaviour management for the patient within the limits of the therapist’s 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