Dental Therapist | Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust

The Post Holder will plan, provide and adapt tailored oral healthcare advice and instructions to children and adult patients. Patients will have a full examination and assessment by a Dentist. The patient will then be referred to a Dental Therapist who will then plan and deliver treatment which
falls within their scope of practice.

Dentists and therapists are required to work closely together to identify suitable patients with the dentist available to provide clinical leadership and support.

The post holder will be expected to work at any establishment at any time throughout the duration of the contract, normally within the boundaries of the Trust

Mersey Care is one of the largest trusts providing physical health and mental health services in the North West, serving more than 1.4 million people across our region and are also commissioned for services that cover the North West, North Wales and the Midlands.

We offer specialist inpatient and community services that support physical and mental health and specialist inpatient mental health, learning disability, addiction and brain injury services. Mersey Care is one of only three trusts in the UK that offer high secure mental health facilities.

At the heart of all we do is our commitment to 'perfect care' - care that is safe, effective, positively experienced, timely, equitable and efficient. We support our staff to do the best job they can and work alongside service users, their families, and carers to design and develop future services together. We're currently delivering a programme of organisational and service transformation to significantly improve the quality of the services we provide and safely reduce cost as we do so.

Flexible working requests will be considered for all roles.

Plan the delivery of care for patients
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

Responsible for working autonomously in the provision of dental care and advising patients
following referral from a dentist.
Responsible for liaising with the referring dentist regarding any necessary changes required.
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
The therapist may operate in a clinic without the presence of a dentist working within the limits
of practice set out for Dental Therapists in the current GDC Standards and Scope of Practice. In these circumstances, the therapist would be the lead clinician on site and as such may need to liaise with the Senior Dental Nurse Manager, Directorate Management Team, Administrative Team and other specialities as required.
Plays a key role in ensuring that daily, weekly and monthly checks have been completed by dental nurses and signed off appropriately

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
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 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 under treatment plans provided by dentists for patients.

Prepare and provide specific appropriate oral health care advice and instruction to child and adult patients and also their carers.
Provide clinical, restorative and preventive care utilising 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, care with sedation or a combination of approaches.
Select the type of restorative procedure to be carried out, ensuring that treatment plans are amended by the referring dentist where appropriate.
Ensure 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
Recognise 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 appropriate
Ensure that oral health advice is tailored appropriately to the needs of individual patients and
take into consideration any special requirements/medical issues/conflicts
Be aware of any changes (especially deterioration) in the patient's condition during treatment or over a course of treatment and ensure appropriate action is taken.
18. Be aware of any issues around changes in consent, mental capacity and Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) at each appointment

Dental Therapist Band 6 £37,388 - £44,962 37.5 hours per week, 12 month Fixed Term Contract

Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust Community Dental Service is looking for a Full Time Dental Therapist to join our Community and Personal 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 . The successful candidate will deliver dental therapy services within our community and personal dental services including providing preventative oral health care and treatment to patients and liaising with Dentists over their treatment. A key element will be the provision of dental hygiene activity and restorative care.

This post would be appropriate for a recently qualified Dental Therapist looking for an exciting development opportunity to work in a varied and challenging environment.

Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust Community Dental Service Team is committed to the provision of high quality dental care. Joining us means that you will be fully supported in your professional development, and will participate in audit and quality assurance as part of our clinical governance programme.