Dental Officer in paediatrics and special care dentistry

Job description

Job summary

We are seeking an enthusiastic and patient-focused clinician to join Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust Dental Services as a Dental Officer on a full-time maternity cover basis. Based at Aylesham Health Centre, you will provide high-quality dental care for children and adults with additional physical, medical, behavioural, or mental health needs across a variety of community settings. The role includes delivering Tier 2 dental care, supporting patients requiring sedation or general anaesthesia, and providing treatment in clinics, prisons, mobile dental units, and patients' homes when required. Working as part of a multidisciplinary team, you will be responsible for promoting excellent oral health outcomes, ensuring compliance with clinical governance and infection prevention standards, and contributing to service development, audit, and quality improvement activities.
Main duties of the job

o To provide tier 2 level dental care for paediatric and special care patients who have been referred into the service and remote triaging for dental patients in pain and patients on the waiting list as directed by the clinical director.

o To provide dental treatment under inhalation sedation (intravenous sedation if required by service need) and general anaesthetic

o To provide dental treatment at HMP prison sites, mobile dental units and domiciliary care as required by service need

o Involve patients in their care and treatment. Offer information, support and motivation to patients regarding oral health, diet and smoking

o To work with other healthcare professionals and stakeholders to provide a seamless care package for KCHFT dental patients

o Monitor the application of clinical governance practice including dental nurse standards, infection control and cross infection

o Participate in audits as directed by senior management or the Kent and London Quality Group (DCQG)

o Comply with Dental Practice Inspections as organised through the Area teams, and ensure delivery of all CQC outcomes for patient care

About us

Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust is due to integrate with Medway Community Healthcare on 1 October 2026. Following integration and to align our community services to the new Neighbourhood Model of care delivery, there will be a period of consultation which may result in changes affecting some services, teams or roles. Depending on the area you are applying to work in, this could include potential changes to your role, work base, reporting arrangements, or terms and conditions of employment. Any changes would be subject to consultation and managed sensitively and in line with relevant employment processes. Please do contact the recruiting manager if you have any concerns about this so they can answer any questions you might have.

Rated 'Outstanding' by CQC, we deliver high-quality care that improves the health of our communities. We are looking for people who share our values:Compassionate, Aspirational, Responsive and Excellent.

We are proud to be an inclusive, welcoming organisation and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We use protected characteristic information for monitoring only and it is not seen by recruiting managers, except where applicants choose to be considered under our disability guaranteed interview scheme.

We know life outside work matters. As a flexible working-friendly organisation, we welcome conversations about arrangements that help you thrive while supporting excellent care for our patients.

Explore KCHFTcareer pathways

Job description

Job responsibilities

As a community Trust, many of our roles require individuals to be able to drive to perform their duties. Where driving is a requirement of the role, you will be asked to confirm that you hold a full UK driving licence or a full driving licence issued by an EU country (not exchanged from a non-EU country) to proceed with your application. We are committed to supporting candidates with disabilities into employment. If you are unable to drive due to a disability, please contact the Recruitment Team via [email protected], quoting the vacancy reference number, so we can support you further.

The job description and person specification gives you all the information you need about this role. Please look carefully at the criteria in the person specification and tell us what you have done that shows you meet this in your application. If you need an application form in an alternative format please let our recruitment team know. All information you supply on your application should, to the best of your knowledge, be true and accurate.

Still have questions? The recruiting manager would love to hear from you, their contact details can be found in the job advert.

We can get a lot of applications for some roles so to be in with the best chance of being shortlisted please make sure you apply as soon as possible. A vacancy may close early if there is a lot of interest in the job.

At KCHFT we strongly encourage colleagues in clinical and non-clinical roles who have direct or social contact with patients to be fully vaccinated. In this way we will be doing all we can to ensure your safety and that of your colleagues and the patients we serve.

Find out more about the community difference here.

Good luck! We cant wait to meet you and welcome you to #teamKCHFT, #cometocommunity.

Job description
Job responsibilities

As a community Trust, many of our roles require individuals to be able to drive to perform their duties. Where driving is a requirement of the role, you will be asked to confirm that you hold a full UK driving licence or a full driving licence issued by an EU country (not exchanged from a non-EU country) to proceed with your application. We are committed to supporting candidates with disabilities into employment. If you are unable to drive due to a disability, please contact the Recruitment Team via [email protected], quoting the vacancy reference number, so we can support you further.

The job description and person specification gives you all the information you need about this role. Please look carefully at the criteria in the person specification and tell us what you have done that shows you meet this in your application. If you need an application form in an alternative format please let our recruitment team know. All information you supply on your application should, to the best of your knowledge, be true and accurate.

Still have questions? The recruiting manager would love to hear from you, their contact details can be found in the job advert.

We can get a lot of applications for some roles so to be in with the best chance of being shortlisted please make sure you apply as soon as possible. A vacancy may close early if there is a lot of interest in the job.

At KCHFT we strongly encourage colleagues in clinical and non-clinical roles who have direct or social contact with patients to be fully vaccinated. In this way we will be doing all we can to ensure your safety and that of your colleagues and the patients we serve.

Find out more about the community difference here.

Good luck! We cant wait to meet you and welcome you to #teamKCHFT, #cometocommunity.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Full registration with the UK General Dental council with performer number and no restrictions

Desirable

• Relevant postgraduate dental qualification

Experience

Essential

• Demonstrates competency in Level 1 Dentistry (e.g: Routine examinations, restorations, provision of partial and full dentures, root canal treatments, stainless steel crowns using the Hall Technique etc)
• Experience of delivering dental care in a range of dental service settings e.g. mobile dental unit &/or domiciliary setting
• Experience of working with children and adults with special needs

Desirable

• Epidemiology fieldwork
• Experience working with Dentally dental Software

Skills and Abilities

Essential

• Enhanced clinical skills which will support the delivery of services outlined in the service specification
• Skills to provide dental care under sedation (Inhalation sedation/ Intravenous sedation).

Desirable

• Communication skills required to build partnerships with stakeholders outside the immediate clinical environment

Personal Attributes

Essential

• Compliance with GDC standards for dental professionals, and knowledge and skills to promote These standards within the clinical team
• A full, valid UK driving licence or a full driving licence issued by an EU country (not exchanged from a non-EU country) and the ability to travel independently are essential for this role. Should you require workplace adjustments under the Equality Act 2010, we are committed to supporting you to meet the mobility requirements of the role wherever possible.

Desirable

• Interest in leading projects and service development

Management and Leadership

Essential

• Ability to lead and manage the immediate clinical environment and team.

Desirable

• Experience in teaching/ clinical supervision

Person Specification
Qualifications

Essential

• Full registration with the UK General Dental council with performer number and no restrictions

Desirable

• Relevant postgraduate dental qualification

Experience

Essential

• Demonstrates competency in Level 1 Dentistry (e.g: Routine examinations, restorations, provision of partial and full dentures, root canal treatments, stainless steel crowns using the Hall Technique etc)
• Experience of delivering dental care in a range of dental service settings e.g. mobile dental unit &/or domiciliary setting
• Experience of working with children and adults with special needs

Desirable

• Epidemiology fieldwork
• Experience working with Dentally dental Software

Skills and Abilities

Essential

• Enhanced clinical skills which will support the delivery of services outlined in the service specification
• Skills to provide dental care under sedation (Inhalation sedation/ Intravenous sedation).

Desirable

• Communication skills required to build partnerships with stakeholders outside the immediate clinical environment

Personal Attributes

Essential

• Compliance with GDC standards for dental professionals, and knowledge and skills to promote These standards within the clinical team
• A full, valid UK driving licence or a full driving licence issued by an EU country (not exchanged from a non-EU country) and the ability to travel independently are essential for this role. Should you require workplace adjustments under the Equality Act 2010, we are committed to supporting you to meet the mobility requirements of the role wherever possible.

Desirable

• Interest in leading projects and service development

Management and Leadership

Essential

• Ability to lead and manage the immediate clinical environment and team.

Desirable

• Experience in teaching/ clinical supervision

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 .

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. .
UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see

Additional information
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 .

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. .
UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see

Employer details

Employer name

Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust
Address

Aylesham Health centre

Aylesham

CT3 3BB

United Kingdom

Employer's website