Dental Therapist - Falkland Islands
Job Description
Job summary
This role is located in a British Overseas Territory, therefore UK legislation such as the Data Protection Act (2018) and the Equality Act (2010), or similar, may not apply.
Are you looking for a new adventure with an excellent work life balance in a safe, unique, beautiful and community focused setting?
Do you want to work in a hospital focused on providing the highest quality, patient focused care possible to its diverse community? Then this is the job for you.
The KEMH is the principal healthcare facility in the Falkland Islands which alongside of primary care, also provides a broad range of elective & emergency secondary care services to a resident population of about 3700 people, (plus short-term residents and visitors).
We are looking to employ a Dental Therapist to join our team to provide quality care to the residents and visitors of the Falkland Islands.
If you are an experienced Dental Therapist with General Dental Council (GDC) registration (or recognised international equivalent) at the level of Dental Therapist who has experience of working in the NHS & is looking for a new challenge, to work independently within a small dental team, we would like to hear from you.
In return we offer: A competitive salary package, an outstanding work life balance, 6 weeks paid annual leave, plus 11 days Public Holidays and a flight and relocation package.
Main duties of the job
This position requires an experienced Dental Therapist, on a two-to-four-year contract to join two dentists and four dental nurses to provide dental hygiene and dental therapy activities as part of the Islands dental service. This role involves, but is not limited to, providing a critical role in the orthodontic service by providing tailored oral hygiene together with health advice and cleaning for those patients undergoing orthodontic treatment.
About us
The Health and Social Services Directorate, Falkland Islands provides emergency, primary, secondary and community healthcare as well as social services assistance, support, and advice. Most health services are based at the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital (KEMH) which is the Islands only hospital and is based in the capital Stanley. We serve the local community of about 3,700 residents, short-term residents and visitors.
The Falkland Islands are an unique natural environment located in the South Atlantic, 8,000 miles south of the UK mainland, which is a British overseas territory with a full internal self-government. The Islands boasts unspoilt beaches, outstanding wildlife, and stunning landscapes with a good work/life balance. Stanley is a friendly and busy city with a wide range of amenities and a variety of clubs and associations.
The hospital environment is one in which clinical staff have the time, resources, and support to provide the highest standards of care and to develop their careers. In addition to being supported to practise with a broad scope, clinical staff are encouraged and assisted to develop particular areas of clinical expertise.
Job responsibilities
Clinical duties
- Examining patients teeth and mouth for signs of disease or other dental problems, planning treatments, and referring patients to colleagues for further dental care as required.
- Prescribing and taking dental radiographs as required.
- Administering local anaesthetic.
- Assessing the periodontal tissues and oral hygiene, using pocket charting, plaque scores or similar.
- Carrying out periodontal cleanings, including prophy polishing, supragingival and subgingival scaling and debridement using both hand and powered instruments.
- Applying fissure sealants and topical fluoride treatments.
- Undertaking further dental procedures as per the UKs General Dental Council (GDC) Guidelines Scope of Practice - Dental Therapists (modified to meet local needs and circumstances). This will include but not be limited to - Temporary and permanent direct restorations on primary and secondary teeth - Pulpotomies on primary teeth - Extraction of primary teeth - Placing pre-formed crowns on primary teeth - Adjusting restorations
- Working closely with orthodontic patients to help ensure that their oral health and hygiene is up to standard throughout their orthodontic treatment.
- Preventive dental care including, but not limited to - Providing Smoking cessation advice - Developing personalised oral hygiene plans for patients, in collaboration with dentists - Providing tailored oral hygiene instruction, diet advice, and other oral health guidance and demonstrations to patients.
- Helping manage dental and medical emergencies if necessary.
- Responsibility for aspects of the community dental services including, but not limited to - Participating in community-level oral health promotion and education activities, (e.g. fluoride application programme, nursery education, school visits) - Leading on Oral Health Promotion for the Falkland Islands in general - Treatment in a domiciliary setting - School and care home oral health sessions.
Non-clinical and administrative duties
- Responsible for mentoring and supervision of trainee dental nurses alongside dental colleagues.
- Maintaining detailed and accurate records of all patient encounters.
- Managing appointments.
- Participating in clinical audit and contributing to the development of relevant departmental policies.
- Assisting with wider administrative duties as appropriate, such as the annual stock take.
- Maintaining knowledge through the completion of mandatory CPD activities and courses (free access available to several online CPD providers).
- Responsible for stock management of all materials, tools and specialist equipment relevant to Dental Therapy/Hygiene, within the available budget. Health and Safety
- Ensuring work is carried out in compliance with the applicable regulations on safety and hygiene concerning, for example, the sterilization of all equipment and instruments, or the cleaning and disinfection of all work areas.
- Protecting patients and employees by adhering to infection-control guidelines.
- Ensuring operation of dental equipment by completing preventive maintenance requirements, following manufacturers instructions, troubleshooting malfunctions, and calling for repairs, maintaining equipment inventories, and evaluating new equipment and techniques.
- Maintaining patient confidence and protecting operations by keeping information confidential.
- Radiation safety, infection control, and clinical governance lead in absence of dental officers
The job description is not an exclusive or exhaustive of your duties.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- A degree in a relevant subject i.e. Dental Therapy
- Registration with the UKs General Dental Council (or recognised international equivalent) at the level of Dental Therapist. This registration must be maintained throughout the duration of the post.
- Vocational training accreditation i.e. clinically up to date with CPD requirements of the UKs General Dental Council
Desirable
- Post Graduate qualification in a relevant area
- Further relevant professional vocational qualifications
Experience
Essential
- A minimum of three years relevant work experience in a similar role, ideally in a UK practice providing NHS care provision
- A sound knowledge of professional dental hygiene and therapy instrument and methods
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills and the ability to explain treatments to patients in a calm and reassuring manner
- Good eyesight and steady hands for carrying out precise dental work along with the ability to maintain concentration for long periods of time
- Good time management and ability to prioritise and organise complex work flows
- Able to work effectively in a busy general practice
- Sound working knowledge of clinical governance practices and experience in conducting quality audits
- Knowledge of the principles & practices of oral health promotion
- Effective listening and motivational skills to educate patients to maintain healthy oral hygiene and diet
- Able to work as an effective team player and develop good working relationships with colleagues and external agencies
- Sound IT skills, including a solid level of competency in Microsoft packages such as Word, Excel etc
- Ability to deal with sensitive information and respect confidentiality
- Excellent manual dexterity and confidence in handling dental equipment
Desirable
- Experience of working in a small multi-disciplinary health team
- Ability to effectively train, develop and mentor dental team members as required
Employer details
Employer name
Falkland Islands Government
Address
King Edward VII Memorial Hospital
Stanley
Falkland Islands
AA1 1AA
