WereHiring a Full-Time Senior Dental Nurse
Location Truro, Monday-Friday Salary: £32,240.00 Closing Date: 15th July 2026
InterviewDate: Thursday23rd July 2026
Areyou passionate about helping others and making a real difference? Do you wantto be part of a team where your work truly impacts your community, theenvironment, and the future of healthcare? Then Smile Together is the place foryou!
What are we looking for?
Are you an experienced dentalnurse who thrives on variety, flexibility, and making a real impact? This is anexciting opportunity to take your skills by supporting our team to deliverexcellent patient care where and when its needed most.
Main duties of the job
As a Senior Dental Nurse, youll provide clinical and operational support. From short-notice cover to planned support, youll play a key role in maintaining continuity of care and upholding the highest standards in infection control, safeguarding, compliance, and patient experience.
Youll work closely with Practice Managers to support day-to-day operations, and act as a role model and mentor to dental nurses and trainees, helping them settle into practice life and grow in confidence. Whether its preparing a surgery, supporting a colleague, or helping implement service improvements, your reliability, professionalism, and clinical experience will make you an invaluable part of our team.
Paidindemnity and GDC registration
Wevegotyou covered so you can focus on your career.
Timeoff
27 dayspaid annual leave plus bank holidays each year (pro rata) and an additionalpaid day off to celebrate your birthday because you deserve to be celebrated!
ProfessionalDevelopment:
Wellhelp you develop your skills with access to our Smile Together TrainingAcademy, including a paid subscription to Agilio for continuous professionaldevelopment.
CommunityInvolvement:
Getinvolved in impactful community projects and outreach initiatives across theregion. Opportunity for half a days paid volunteer time*
Healthand Wellbeing:
ComprehensiveWellbeing Support through our Health Assured Programme, youll have access to tools for mental and physical health, including 24-hour helplines, structuredtherapy, and more.
Job responsibilities
Job Summary
The post holder will act as the CQC Registered Manager. They will be accountable for the day-to-day running of the practice, leading and supporting all clinical and non-clinical staff to ensure:
- Safe, efficient and compliant operations in line with CQC, GDC, Health & Safety, Employment Law and all relevant regulatory frameworks.
- High-quality patient care, effective service delivery and cost control aligned with organisational strategy, clinical governance and company values.
- Strong leadership, coaching and development of practice teams to ensure outstanding performance and professional growth.
The post holder will be an integral member of the team, consistently demonstrating behaviours that reflect Smile Togethers vision, mission and organisational values.
As an employee you must take personal responsibility for understanding and complying with Smile Togethers standards and any other Standards of Professional Conduct of any government, regulatory organisation, licensing agency, or professional association governing your professional activities.
Handbook
The expectations of the organisation are outlined in the employee handbook, and you are expected to familiarise yourself with those expectations.
Social Enterprise
All employees are aware of the status of Smile Together Dental CIC as a Social Enterprise and are expected to commit to the values expected of a CIC and actively contribute to innovations in supporting the local community to improve oral health.
Key accountabilities:
Leadership & Performance
Create a supportive, inclusive and motivated working environment across all Smile Together locations.
Provide clear leadership that encourages innovation, accountability and excellent patient care.
Lead by example with behaviours aligned to Smile Togethers vision, mission and values.
Ensure safe day-to-day operations across sites including infection prevention and control, decontamination procedures (HTM 01-05), health and safety and security.
Ensure compliance with all audit, governance, safeguarding and regulatory requirements, reviewing outcomes and implementing improvements.
Build high-performing clinical and non-clinical teams that achieve service and revenue performance targets.
Conduct regular performance reviews, 1:1s and appraisals as per the review cycle.
Ensure the whole Dental team maintain Personal Development Plans and meet mandatory and CPD requirements.
Support professional development and capability building and lead structured induction processes.
Manage individual and team performance in line with policies, values and behaviours.
Produce action plans, reports and documentation to support KPIs and service improvement, including timely incident management reporting.
Work collaboratively with the Service Manager and Commercial Manager to optimise practice performance.
Act as CQC Registered Manager for assigned sites and maintain ongoing readiness for inspections across all KLOEs.
Manage controllable budgets including consumables, equipment, repairs and workforce-related costs.
Maintain accurate management, governance and compliance reporting.
Mentor and develop colleagues, sharing knowledge, expertise, and leadership skills to build capability across the organisation.
Support teams to deliver a gold-standard patient experience and meet FFT satisfaction KPIs.
Promote a culture of continuous improvement based on patient feedback and service priorities.
Lead timely and effective management of patient complaints with learning embedded into practice, with the support of the Patient Experience Lead.
Ensure UK GDPR and Information Governance compliance for all patient and staff data.
Collaborate with the Marketing and Communications team to promote services and community impact.
Operational Management
Oversee day-to-day practice operations, addressing clinical and operational issues promptly.
Drive practice growth through excellent patient care, team engagement and service development.
Work with the Service & Commercial Manager on financial performance, costs, stock control and KPIs.
Maintain effective communication across teams including practice updates and performance results.
Manage administration including correspondence, complaints, equipment maintenance, procurement and invoicing.
Support delivery of activity targets across Smile Together services including MOS, Orthodontics, Special Care (adults and paediatrics), Unscheduled Dental Care, Routine NHS (UDA) and private dentistry, including Denplan.
Oversee recruitment, induction, absence management and HR processes with support of the People Team.
Ensure training needs are met and team skills align to practice service requirements.
Maintain all compliance processes, audits, checks, meetings and records to required standards.
Participate in an out of hours on call rota, covering evenings and weekends, providing guidance and support to teams as required.
General Management
Optimise clinical diary utilisation to meet patient needs and service delivery targets.
Maintain quality assurance systems and ensure adherence to all Company policies and procedures.
Ensure safeguarding of children and adults in line with clinical governance and contractual obligations.
Maintain accurate equipment inventories and oversee safe operation, servicing and repairs.
Hold site-level responsibilities including Health & Safety Lead, Infection Prevention and Control Lead, Radiation Protection Supervisor and IOSH-trained representative.
Manage facilities within the practice, ensuring equipment, property and premises are safe, maintained and operational.
Ensure timely incident and accident reporting, investigation and implementation of learning outcomes.
Person Specification
Experience
- Evidence of/commitment to continuing
- professional and personal development
- Familiarity with NHS dental services
- regulations and knowledge / acceptance of NHS / local policies and guidelines
Knowledge and Skills
- Competency in the common aspects of dental nursing and experience of a wide range of dental procedures acquired through training and clinical experience
- Demonstrable understanding of all aspects of pain and anxiety management, particularly for anxious patients
- Ability to deal with the public in a courteous and professional manner, and be competent and confident in dealing with patients who need urgent and emergency dental care
- Familiarity with NHS dental services
- regulations and knowledge / acceptance of NHS / local policies and guidelines
- Trained to recognise and respond to medical emergencies (i.e. Immediate Life Support Techniques)
- Knowledge of systems of care provision and
- current health and safety regulations including adherence to COSHH guidelines and ionising radiation regulations, and compliance with HTM 01 05 infection control procedures
- Awareness of and ability to keep confidentiality and handle sensitive data
- Knowledge of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and NHS Confidentiality Guidelines (e.g. Caldicott) and their implications
Qualifications
- NEBDN National Certificate in Dental Nursing or NVQ Level 3 in Dental Nursing (DN)
- Post qualification experience, minimum 5 years
- Full registration with the General Dental Council and Professional Indemnity Insurance
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.
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