Band 7 Dental Staff Hygienist

Job overview

***This job advert will close as soon as sufficient applications have been received. Please apply for this job as soon as you can, if interested***

To provide specialist clinical care and preventative treatment without direct supervision to patients attending the specialist Dental Hospital services for secondary or tertiary care. To carry out dental treatment on these patients to a level of competence as directed by the Dental Act and its amendments.

Main contact is with hospital staff and patients. Patient groups as a priority are adults and children with special needs, including medically compromised patients, anxious patients and patients with challenging behaviour.

Main duties of the job

• Carrying out the full range of treatments currently permitted under the General Dental Council regulations.
• Specific duties may only be undertaken if trained and competent to do so.
• Treatment may be carried out within hospital dental departments and wards or by domiciliary treatment visits, if necessary

Treatment is provided following a prescribed course of treatment as directed by a registered dentist. Any combination of the following duties may be performed on a daily basis.

Permitted duties of the Dental Hygienist:

Education of patients on the causes and prevention of periodontal diseases and dental caries.

Identification of risk factors for the dental diseases, including medical and social risk factors and the provision of appropriate counselling advice, including:-

Medical history

• Diet analysis and nutritional guidance
• Advice in the use of fluoride agents
• The benefits of smoking cessation and accessing cessation service

Motivate patients to maintain a high standard of oral hygiene.

Monitor patients’ progress using appropriate indices:-

• Bleeding and plaque indices
• Detailed pocket charting
• Mobility index
• Furcation index

Perform supra- and subgingival scaling of teeth including polishing, allowing removal of hard and soft deposits and stains.

The provision of comprehensive specialist periodontal invasive root debridement therapy using Gracey area curettes and high-speed ultrasonic device.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

General Duties

• To be fully conversant with basic first aid and resuscitation techniques, attending regular training.
• Comply with local rules relating to radiography, IRMER and the Dental Radiographic Quality Assurance Audit Policy.
• Comply with the departmental and Trust policy on the control of infection.
• Assess new instruments in terms of performance and feedback evaluations.
• Adhere to Trust policy on Manual Handling, participating in mandatory training.
• Actively participate in Team Briefing meetings and peer group reviews.
• Participate in the training of other grades of Trust staff as required.
• Participate in activities related to the promotion of quality of service, including schemes for clinical audit and standard setting.
• Participate in such continuing professional development and training that may be necessary for personal development, as identified jointly with the head of the service.
• Ensure effective and efficient use of resources.
• Agree personal objectives related to the delivery of the service. Agree and manage time effectively to ensure that the workload is scheduled and completed on time.
• Administrative duties include monitoring of referrals and managing appointments directly with patients and reception staff.
• Monitor personal workload and communicate to clinical lead periodic variations in service requirements
• Support the clinical team in reviewing services and implementing service developments, proposing changes and innovations
• Contribute to the development, interpretation, implementation, and review of national and local policies as well as the service’s policies, procedures and standard.
• To undertake other duties commensurate with this grade of post in agreement with the relevant line manager.

To minimise the Trust’s environmental impact wherever possible, including recycling, switching off lights, computers, monitors and equipment when not in use. Helping to reduce paper waste by minimising printing/copying and reducing water usage, reporting faults and heating/cooling concerns promptly and minimising travel. Where the role includes the ordering and use of supplies or equipment the post holder will consider the environmental impact of purchases.

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.