Senior Dental Officer; Maternity Cover

Job Summary

This is an excellent opportunity for a motivated and experienced senior clinician to join our team on a 12‑month fixed‑term maternity cover basis. Wolverhampton Special Care Dental Service provides high‑quality care for a wide range of patients who are unable to access treatment in a General Dental Practice. Services are delivered from three community clinics and a dental mobile unit.

We pride ourselves on being an outward‑looking, progressive service with strong links to Learning Disability, Mental Health and other specialist teams enabling the effective delivery of Special Care Dentistry.

The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust is one of the largest NHS trusts in the West Midlands providing primary, acute and community services. We are proud of the diversity of both our staff and the communities we serve and are building a workforce that can help us to fulfil our values, improve the quality of care for patients and solve the health care problems of tomorrow.

We have been rated as "Good" by the CQC and have received numerous awards, including the Nursing Times Best Diversity and Inclusion Practice and Best UK Employer of the Year for Nursing Staff in 2020. The Trust is a supportive working environment that considers all requests from applicants who wish to work flexibly.

• Date posted: 06 February 2026
• Pay scheme:
  Hospital medical and dental staff
• Grade:
  Doctor – other
• Salary: £81,716 to £95,579 a year (pro rata)
• Contract:
  
  Fixed term
• Duration: 12 months
• Working pattern:
  Part‑time
• Reference number: 225‑DIV1‑7686671
• Job locations:
  • Pendeford Health Centre
  • Whitburn Close, Wolverhampton, WV9 5NJ

• Contribute to all aspects of care provided by Wolverhampton Special Care Dental Service as specified in the service level agreement.
• Provide high‑quality clinical care for patients in special care groups, including those with learning disabilities, complex medical conditions, anxiety and sedation needs.
• Carry out an appropriate clinical workload within the service, including treatment at fixed and mobile clinics or hospital dental departments throughout Wolverhampton.
• Work with the senior dental nurse, statutory and voluntary organisations to identify special care patient services and provide treatment.
• Participate in the development of care pathways for treatment under general anaesthesia and for special needs patients.
• Deliver comprehensive dental care under general anaesthesia at New Cross Hospital.
• Take referrals, provide advice to clinicians, and accept direct referrals of special‑needs patients from general dental practitioners, NHS staff and other agencies.
• Provide emergency domiciliary care as required.
• Assist with duties at New Cross Hospital, including paediatric exodontia sessions, where experience permits.
• Contribute to the Oral Health Promotion programme and ensure principles of Preventive Dentistry are applied to individual patients.

• Assist in the management and development of the dental services and the business planning process as part of the senior clinical team.
• Implement strategies to improve the dental health of special care patients and young adults with special needs leaving school.
• Lead on the development of the anxious patient pathway and sedation services for special needs patients.
• Develop protocols with senior nursing colleagues as needed.
• Ensure clinical and workload scheduling and completion aligns with standards and infection control procedures.
• Use resources efficiently and effectively.
• Develop and deliver training for other grades of staff in inhalation, intravenous and intranasal sedation.
• Identify and meet staff training needs through individual review processes.
• Support day‑to‑day management of the Clinical Special Care Dental Service, including sickness monitoring.

• Communicate with patients, families, and complex clinical situations in a professional and appropriate manner.
• Engage with the clinical team, peers, and other health and social care professionals on a range of oral health issues.
• Maintain clear communication with carers and record interactions in patient notes.
• Collaborate with members of the dental…