Dental Therapist Employment Contract UK

Responsibilities reflected in the contract

• Assess patients within dental-therapy scope.
• Deliver authorised restorative and preventive care.
• Obtain and document consent appropriately.
• Maintain accurate clinical and material records.
• Recognise needs requiring dentist referral.
• Maintain registration and continuing competence.

A realistic working scenario

The therapist may assess within scope, obtain consent, deliver an authorised restoration or preventive treatment, record outcomes and refer symptoms, complexity or treatment needs outside the therapist's competence or permitted scope.

Outputs to agree

• safe preventive and restorative treatment within scope
• clear patient advice, consent and follow-up
• timely referral of complex or out-of-scope findings

Records and evidence

• Assessment, charting and treatment notes.
• Consent, radiograph and prescription information where applicable.
• Materials, laboratory and follow-up records.
• Referral, incident, complaint and continuing-development evidence.
• Dental clinical records.
• Treatment notes.

Reporting relationship

Typically reports to Principal Dentist, Clinical Director or Practice Owner. Confirm the employer's actual reporting structure in the builder.

Authority and escalation

• Work within the Employer's documented direct-access or prescription arrangements, restorative scope and referral support. The employee should not diagnose or treat beyond current professional scope, competence or the practice pathway.
• Obtain approval before committing expenditure, changing contractual commitments or making regulated or staffing decisions outside the assigned role.

Tools and systems

• Dental clinical systems.
• Patient record systems.
• Dental equipment where authorised.
• Decontamination records.
• Secure practice communication tools.

Workplace context

• Dental surgery, decontamination areas and associated consultation rooms.

Training and certification

• Complete employer-required safeguarding training.
• Complete employer-required health and safety training.

Contract priorities

• registration, indemnity and restorative competence
• direct-access, prescription and referral model
• patient records, consent and confidentiality
• clinical sessions, materials, complaints and governance

Information the employer should prepare

• the restorative and preventive scope
• the practice sites and session pattern
• the supervision and referral structure
• the equipment and decontamination systems
• the pay and cancellation arrangements
• the registration and indemnity provisions