Job summary
30 hours per week.
Are you a fully qualified sedation dental nurse, but would like to develop your skills in a supportive environment that invests in your growth? Come & be a part of our leading provider of specialist NHS Dental Care in Plymouth.
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a fully qualified sedation dental nurse to join Plymouth Community Dental Service to work along side a dedicated, compassionate & highly skilled team delivering specialist dental care to a wide range of patients, including some of the most vulnerable in our community.
We support individuals with additional needs & patients requiring treatment under sedation or general anaesthetic, all within a collaborative & patient focused environment.
PCDS is not only a place where patients receive exceptional care but also a supportive and development focused place to work. We are committed to nurturing our staff at every stage of their career. Whether through informal training, clinical supervision or opportunities to be involved in service improvement & teaching.
Applications are welcomed from GDC registered dental nurses with at least two years post qualification experience & with a qualification certificate in dental sedation (for both inhalation & intravenous). You would need to evidence an up-to-date record of experience in assisting during surgery of patients in receiving conscious sedation.
Main duties of the job
Work with dental operator providing patient care inc. clinical procedures, chair side assisting & the use of inhalation/intravenous sedation.
Assist & be empathetic with patients/carers, inc. those who have special needs & dealing with them promptly & efficiently.
Works with all dental equipment including sharp/fine instruments.
Provide advice to patients/carers about dental procedures including pre/post-operative advice, management of complications & pain control.
Prepare the clinical environment prior to/end of clinical sessions, following cross infection & decontamination protocols.
Check surgery equipment & report any faults.
Ensure routine & emergency equipment is checked & available.
Assist with the decontamination / sterilisation of equipment & instruments & other responsibilities in the decontamination suite following cross infection procedures according to local/national guidelines.
Prepares the surgery for the patient using knowledge & experience to select the appropriate equipment/materials/instruments.
Assists dental officer on domiciliary visits, epidemiology surveys & school screening when required.
Develops x-rays using digital equipment.
Assist in the event of a medical emergency.
Work across different locations.
This role may not be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route.
Please note that Livewell may close the job advertisement earlier than the specified deadline.
All staff are expected to be able and willing to work across a 7 day service.
About us
We offer more than a just a job; the opportunity to make a meaningful impact every day. As one of the largest specialist NHS Dental Providers in the City, we care for patients who may not be able to access Dental treatment elsewhere. This includes children, those with special needs&requiring specialist oral surgery
Our staff:
Make a difference- providing care to patients with complex needs & contribute to improving oral health.
Work in a supportive team-join a friendly, multidisciplinary work force that values teamwork,respect & compassion.
Grow your career- benefit from ongoing training & development opportunities
Be part of innovation-contribute to teaching, service development & continuous improvement
Enjoy a healthy work life balance- we offer NHS terms & conditions, flexible working & a role with real purpose in a coastal city with an outstanding quality of life
We offer:
Access to the Scottish Widows pension scheme with generous employer contributions
Provision of free uniform
Start with access to 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays pro rata (which increases after 5 years service)
Access various provision to support your own wellbeing such as employer assistance programme (EAP) & range of online resources
Access to a host of employee benefits, such as a Blue Light Card & salary sacrifice options for home electronics, lease cars & the cycle to work scheme
Details
- Date posted: 16 June 2026
- Pay scheme: Agenda for change
- Band: Band 5
- Salary: £32,073 to £39,043 a year pa, pro-rata
- Contract: Fixed term
- Duration: 2 years
- Working pattern: Part-time, Job share, Flexible working
- Reference number: B9832-2026-D33
- Job locations: 200 Mount Gould Road, Mount Gould, Plymouth, Devon, PL4 7PY, United Kingdom, The Dental Access Centre, 1A Baring Street, PLYMOUTH, PL4 8NF, United Kingdom
Job responsibilities
Post holder works with special care dentists treating patients with special needs mostly having treatment under conscious sedation. Post holder also provides Dental Sedation Nursing support to all Dentists carrying out Dental Sedation, including Oral Surgery.
Post holder has GDC registration and holds the NEBDN certificate in conscious sedation and thereby acts as the second appropriately trained person working with the dentist in line with the British Dental association patient safety guidelines.
Post holder requires knowledge of complex medical, physical and mental health problems,which has been gained through a minimum of 2 years experience.
Post holder will be required to monitor sedated patients during both treatment and recovery, and needs to recognise and assist with medical emergencies.
Post holder will discharge patients with the dentists agreement, and be responsible forgiving relevant post operative instructions and care.
To assist all operators in all chair side assisting. To support and care for patients during procedures using conscious sedation.
Follows all sedation related local policies and SOPs, including the correct preparation of equipment and attends local drawing up drugs training with sedation lead.
Records clinical observations on patients sedation record.
Carries out performance checks and daily maintenance on specialist equipment i.e. Pulse Oximeter, Oxygen cylinders, Scavenger unit and Relative analgesia machine to sure the equipment is ready for use and if faulty to remove from use and report to the relevant technician.
Prepares the surgery environment using knowledge and experience to select the appropriate equipment, materials and instruments, using specialist knowledge based on patients medical, physical and emotional needs.
Works as part of a multi-disciplinary team in Freedom day case units assisting operator treating patients under general anaesthesia. Providing technical and clinical support for patients undergoing these procedures. Providing post operative care plans for these patients.
Triage of urgent care patients to assess the urgency of treatment and determine the correct booking and then book appointments including outlying clinics.
Registered, as a Dental Nurse, with the GDC.
Thorough knowledge of dental procedures gained through a minimum of 2 years post-qualification training and experience.
Thorough knowledge of routine dental procedures and equipment gained through in-house training and experience including specialised areas such as general anaesthetics.
Experienced in treating patients from diverse cultural backgrounds i.e. those who require interpretation services.
Knowledge of Basic Life Support techniques and certificate of training and willingness to complete ILS training/certification and regular updates, provided by Livewell Southwest.
Trained in recognising medical emergencies and assists in dealing with them.
Trained by PCDS / Livewell in all Mandatory Training topics, including Manual Handling, Breakaway, Health and Safety when required.
Clinical work is carried out without direct supervision using initiative and knowledge of procedures gained through experience and training. The guidance of a dental operator or clinical manager is sought for non-routine clinical procedures.
Administrative duties are carried out without direct supervision using knowledge of procedures and referring to a Manager for non-routine procedures.
Holds the NEBDN certificate in conscious sedation
Thorough knowledge of specialist dental procedures gained through a minimum of 2 years post qualification, training and experience.
Will be required to carry out additional duties and responsibilities.
Communicates with patients within specialist groups on specialist dental topics. Judgement, reassurance and motivation, are necessary to ensure instructions are given to patients in a manner which they can understand.
Please see full Job Description within the supporting information section.
Person specification
Knowledge
Essential
- Knowledge of the equipment and materials used in dental, surgical and sedation procedures.
- Knowledge of Health and Safety regulations. Knowledge of Cross Infection control measures.
- Carries out clinical and administrative work without direct supervision.
- Promotes best practice and a high level of patient care for the Plymouth Community Dental Services Ltd.
- Fluent in spoken and written English language.
- Good organisational skills Good keyboard and ICT skills
- Calm reassuring manner.
- Good interpersonal skills to ensure effective communication with staff at all grades and ability to support patients of all social backgrounds and all outside agencies.
- Organises tasks and activities to make optimum use of clinical time. Works and communicates with all members of a multi-disciplinary team.
- To act in a professional manner at all times.
Desirable
- Evidence of Continuing Professional Development.
- Up to date in Basic life support training.
- Up to date in Intermediate Life Support training.
- Computer literate including use of Software of Excellence dental package, such as SOEL Health and Dentally.
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working as a member of a team.
- Relevant dental nursing experience.
- Experience of working in a sedation setting.
Desirable
- Assists with the induction of new staff trains and supports new and less qualified staff
- Experience of working in the salaried, community or personal dental services within the NHS.
- Experience of working within Special Care Dentistry, paediatric and/or Oral Surgery.
- Experience in undertaking extra duties to support your team and/or service.
Qualifications
Essential
- NEBDN Qualification/City & Guilds NVQ3 or equivalent in Dental Nursing NEBDN qualification in Dental Sedation Nursing Registered as a Dental Nurse with the GDC GCSE Grade A-C (or equivalent) English and maths
Desirable
- Additional Dental Nurse qualifications.
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Special Care Dental Nurse with Livewell Southwest in Plymouth, South West, England. It is listed as a Band 5 Dental nurse role. The advertised salary is £32,073 to £39,043 a year. The contract type is Fixed-Term. The application deadline is 12 Jul 2026.
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