Overview
Applications are invited for a Dental Therapist in Restorative Dentistry based at Prince Charles Hospital, Merthyr Tydfil. Other hospitals where duties are performed include Royal Glamorgan Hospital. The closing date is 18 September 2025.
The Restorative Dentistry Service is part of the Maxillo-facial Department, which includes Oral and Maxillo-facial Surgery, Oral Surgery and Orthodontics. This post will be one day per week. The successful applicant will undertake duties in the Oral & Maxillofacial Outpatient Department and in Community Hospitals. They will carry out a range of tasks involving direct and indirect care for the benefit of the patients in accordance with clearly defined occupational policies and agreed departmental protocols. The post holder will be responsible for ensuring that all policies and procedures are observed, and meet CTMUHB requirements, as well as General Dental Council (GDC) Standards and Code of Conduct.
Welsh Skills Desirable: This post is advertised as Welsh Desirable. This does not mean essential; while the candidate does not need to have skills in Welsh, it will be advantageous during shortlisting and selection. This is not fluency—just Speaking & Listening skills at Level 3 (equivalent to CEFR B2) or above. Level 3 means basic conversations with patients about their everyday health.
Main duties of the job
* Provide dental care for patients with complex medical, physical and mental health needs, including Head and Neck Oncology patients.
* Provide an Oral Health Programme for Head and Neck patients, both working autonomously and under a written prescription from a Dentist as per General Dental Council Scope of Practice.
* Be responsible for maintaining high standards of patient care, confirmation of consent, medical history and clinical governance.
* Be responsible for the development and implementation of policies where appropriate and ensuring that all policies and procedures are adhered to.
* Provide support and clinical supervision of junior staff, including students, dental undergraduates and junior oral health practitioners.
* Be responsible for maintaining accurate, current, comprehensive and concise records concerning the condition of the client, in accordance with GDC Standards and the UHB's Patient Record Policy.
* Conform to guidance provided by the General Dental Council for the role of a Dental Therapist.
* Liaise with all appropriate Clinical Specialists (Doctors, Dentists, Speech and Language Therapists, Dieticians and Clinical Nurse Specialists) in relation to individual patient requirements and planned programmes of care.
About us
Cwm Taf Morgannwg (CTM) University Health Board, part of NHS Wales, serves a large population across a diverse and beautiful region. With nearly 13,500 staff, our health board is one of Wales's largest employers.
Together, we are Team CTM; a workforce dedicated to offering excellent patient care and support to the 450,000 people across our three regions, Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil, and Rhondda Cynon Taf. We operate three District General hospitals, several community hospitals, primary and community care facilities.
CTM's location offers the best of South Wales, just 20 minutes from Cardiff's vibrant city life, the natural beauty of the Brecon Beacons, and the coastline at Ogmore. Our CTM 2030 Strategy—Our Health, Our Future—focuses on uniting our region around shared health and wellbeing goals. Our values guide us daily:
* We listen, learn, and improve
* We treat everyone with respect
* We work together as one team
CTM employees enjoy benefits including a leading pension, generous leave, flexible work, career growth, and access to ongoing learning and development.
At CTM, you'll find a welcoming, team-oriented workplace that values diversity and compassion, where you can take pride in your work and the difference it makes.
Job responsibilities
* Provide a full range of dental care to patients, as governed by the legislative framework for dental therapists.
* Take responsibility for patient treatment standards, confirmation of consent, medical history and clinical governance.
* Lead Governance and Audit in their area of practice.
* Have knowledge and understanding of complex medical, dental and social issues and understand how they affect patients and their treatment and care.
* Provide evidence-based highly specialised clinical treatment and care to patients referred from General Dental Practitioners, Hospital-based Specialist Services, General Medical Practitioners and other Healthcare Professionals.
* Provide autonomous direct access clinics when appropriate.
* Examination, radiographs, diagnosis and treatment planning within scope of practice, in appropriate situations to ensure the delivery of effective dental care.
* Work to the prescription of a Restorative consultant and/or their team of clinicians.
* Develop and formulate specialised long-term treatment plans for complex patient groups (notably head and neck cancer patients), liaising with primary care clinicians to ensure access or oversee shared care between primary and secondary care.
* Monitor the dental health of all patients, assess developments, record findings, and report to senior team members as required.
* Undertake treatment clinics, including caring for patients with trismus and limited oral access; operate under magnification when treating extensive caries in head and neck cancer patients post-radiotherapy.
* Prescribe, take and interpret dental radiographs within competence, complying with Ionising Radiation (1999) and IRMER (2000) regulations.
* Participate in evidence-based patient care delivery, ensuring consistency and continuity of care.
* Attend the head and neck oncology multidisciplinary team clinic weekly when required, demonstrating empathy and compassion.
* Communicate diagnoses and deliver difficult information to patients clearly and understandably.
* Act independently within CTMUHB, referring to supervisory management as appropriate, and manage resources within the defined area.
* Develop policy and service improvements within the dental therapist scope, collaborating with dental clinicians and other specialists.
* Develop and implement standard operating procedures relating to dental therapy as appropriate, and implement existing SOPs.
* Deliver teaching programmes for primary care dental teams within the UHB area for long-term primary care management of head and neck cancer patients.
* Maintain the local digital restorative dentistry patient database for secondary care restorative services.
* Participate in audit and clinical governance activities and implement changes in patient care, policy and services as needed.
* Understand and maintain equipment used for treatments, its care and maintenance, adhering to health and safety requirements.
* Assemble and dismantle dental equipment and report faults promptly.
* Adhere to risk management protocols (sharps disposal, sharps injuries, hazardous substances disposal) to minimise risk to patients and staff.
* Ability to manage complex clinical and management situations, with strong analytical, interpretive, and decision-making skills.
* Excellent verbal and written communication, including ability to convey complex information clearly and manage difficult conversations.
* Freedom to act within established parameters.
Person Specification
Qualifications and Knowledge
* Diploma or Degree in Dental Therapy.
* Educated to a Masters level or equivalent qualification, knowledge or experience in direct access care and treatment/treatment planning of Head and Neck cancer patients, developmental anomalies, cleft lip and palate patients.
* Full registration with the General Dental Council as a Dental Therapist.
* Certified Competence of extended duties (e.g., prescribing, taking and interpreting radiographs).
* Able to work independently and formulate treatment plans within scope of practice.
* Member of an appropriate dental protection society.
* Able to contribute to development of local Standard Operating Procedures and policy alongside the unit manager and consultant.
* Able to treatment plan and treat patients with complex/multiple complex oral presentations, including those associated with head and neck cancer.
* Evidence of further education.
* Knowledge of a range of oral health procedures acquired through training at a diploma or degree level.
Experience
* Previous experience of treating a range of patients within a specialist setting, requiring complex/intricate treatments.
* Experience/training to provide dental care for patients with complex medical, physical and mental health needs; specifically Head and Neck Oncology patients.
* Significant Dental Therapist experience in a variety of settings.
* Proven leadership and management skills.
* Evidence of a good record of achievement in developing clinical practice.
* Experience in providing clinical supervision to junior staff and nursing teams.
* Ability to manage complex clinical and management situations requiring analysis, interpretation, assessment and presentation of options.
* Experience of planning and delivering treatment independently as well as via prescription.
* Experience of Policy and Standard Operating Procedure development and managing patients with multiple complex conditions.
* Evidence of Continuous Professional Development.
Skills and Attributes
* Experience of working as part of, and leading a team.
* Demonstrated leadership and management skills in complex situations and conflicts.
* Able to demonstrate tact and diplomacy when working with others.
* Excellent written and verbal communication with high-quality patient record management.
* Ability to communicate complex condition-specific information clearly.
* Ability to handle difficult conversations and de-escalation skills.
* Contribution to audit, leadership in clinical governance.
* Commitment to continuous service improvement and ongoing learning.
* Welsh language speaking/listening skills at Level 3 or above.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and a Disclosure to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board
£48,527 to £55,532 a year pro rata per annum
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