Community Dental Nurse
Closing date: 12 May 2026
We would welcome applications from dental nurses who would like a new challenge and a dental nursing role with a difference, helping in their local community. We are a community dental service with clinics based all over South East and South West London. We provide high level dental care to patients inside and outside of the dental surgery; we go to schools, homeless centres, hospitals, patients' homes, care homes, right in the heart of the community.
You will be based in one clinic where you will be part of the larger community family. We are based across 9 London boroughs and you might be surprised to find a clinic close to you. We are currently recruiting for a part time dental nurse to work across Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham sites; however you may be required to cover all Community Clinics.
A recognised dental nurse qualification and registration with the General Dental Council is essential.
Benefits
* CPD and mandatory training
* Inhalation sedation training
* Post certificate opportunities in Special Care, Sedation and Radiography in house with Kings
* Established career pathway and opportunities for progression
* Financial wellbeing: salary sacrifice, high cost area supplement (outer)
* Physical wellbeing: on boarding and induction support
* Mental health and wellbeing benefits: self-referral to occupational health, counselling and mentoring
Main responsibilities
* Perform chairside dental nursing duties to a high standard
* Assist in the event of a medical emergency
* Assist with patients who have special needs, including vulnerable children, elderly, people with mental/physical disabilities, terminal illness, infectious risk, mental health problems
* Prepare and participate in domiciliary care for elderly and patients who have difficulty leaving their homes and school visits
* Perform decontamination and sterilisation of all instruments, testing the decontamination equipment daily and weekly
* Act as relief dental nurse in community dental clinics across south London (often based in one health centre)
* Prepare dental instruments, materials and equipment for each clinical session and ensure the surgery is tidy at the end of the day
* Receive and prepare special needs patients, including children, adults and elderly, for treatment under the dentist
* Assist dental staff in full range of dental treatment and procedures, ensuring relevant information about the patient, including any change in condition, is reported to the dentist
* Assist patients receiving treatment using conscious sedation or general anaesthetic; provide pre and post operative care
* Reassure and inform patients about further treatment and arrange appointments
* Give patients, parents or carers oral hygiene instruction
* Assist in dental screening and epidemiological fieldwork
* Work with hygiene and therapy students in community special care dentistry clinics
* Supervise student dental nurses on placement in community dental clinics
* Fully competent in mixing all dental materials
* Adhere to Infection Control Policy and Blood Borne Virus policy when treating all patients
* Process and mount radiographs; clean, maintain and test processor according to agreed procedures
* Manage surgical clinical waste, dealing appropriately with hazardous or toxic waste materials
* Disinfect and package dental laboratory work and arrange collection
* Maintain patient filing and recall system, ensuring records are completed; undertake general reception duties
* Order stock for the dental clinics and carry out end of year stock audit; order pharmacy items and emergency drugs, monitor expiry dates and review emergency drug kit weekly
* Monitor equipment used in the dental surgery and report faults to the dental engineer; in absence of dentist, report problems to line manager
Qualifications
* Registration with General Dental Council
* Commitment to Continuing Professional Development
* Competence or qualification in Inhalation Sedation
Experience
* Excellent understanding of infection control and decontamination procedures
* Experience working with neuro‑divergent patients and/or patients with learning disabilities/difficulties
* Proficient in the use of Dentally software for patient record
Disclosure and Barring Service Check: The post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and a submission for Disclosure to the Disclosure and Barring Service is required.
£34,186 to £37,389 a year including high cost allowance
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