Dental Assistant

Location: Wellington and Kenepuru Hospitals

Contract: Permanent, Part time (0.80 FTE / 32 hours a week)

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is firmly grounded in the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and is dedicated to serving all New Zealanders. Through integration and collaboration, we’re building a health system underpinned by partnership, equity, sustainability, whānau-centred care, and excellence. 

About the Role 

Dental and Oral Health Services in the Surgery, Women & Children’s Directorate at Wellington Hospital are looking for looking for a Dental Assistant with experience and confidence in reception duties and ordering to work in its team. The dental service is one service located over two sites, Wellington and Kenepuru. This role will have rostered days at each site. 

The Dental Assistant is responsible for providing chairside support and operative assistance to the clinical staff, both in the surgeries and operative theatres of Wellington and Kenepuru Hospitals.

The Dental Assistant role is to provide effective and efficient services and to participate in the smooth day to day operation of the Dental Service. You will also be responsible for the maintenance of clinic/surgery equipment and repairs and supplies, patient preparation and daily clinic flow.

• Provision of chairside assistance 
• Clinic preparation 
• Clinical records management
• Maintenance of supplies and equipment, including ordering
• Sterilisation of equipment
• Some basic reception tasks when requested

About the Team/Service Location 

The Dental and Oral Health Service provides dental care for many patients across two sites (Wellington and Kenepuru Hospitals). While working with us, you will have the opportunity to experience the patient mix at both locations. You will be interacting with patients who require admission for their dental care, children, patients who have suffered acute trauma, and patients who require essential dental treatment as part of their medical or surgical treatment. You will also see some low-income individuals who are being seen to relieve their pain.

Our team consists of senior dentists/ oral medicine & oral surgery specialists/ house surgeons (who provide on call)/ clinical and dental technicians/ receptionists/ dental assistants/ booking clerk and registered nurse.

The Dental and Oral Health Service is operational Monday- Friday from 8am to 4.30pm. On call house surgeons rostered outside of daily operational clinics.

About you 

• NZDA dental assistant qualification or similar
• Experience as a Dental Assistant
• Experience with Oral Surgery, sedations patients and GA lists preferred but not essential
• Exceptional organizational skills with a systematic and methodical approach
• An ability to be flexible and to work effectively under fluctuating workloads
• An ability to manage own workload and set priorities
• Proactive in completing tasks
• Be readily able to adapt to new challenges and take on new responsibilities
• An ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of people from diverse backgrounds
• An ability to work cooperatively and maintain good working relations within the team
• Attention to detail

Working at Health New Zealand 

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is ‘the weaving of wellness’. We're dedicated to ensuring excellent healthcare for the people of Aotearoa/New Zealand. 

Our people are at the heart of everything we do. Health New Zealand are committed to being good employers and honouring our equal employment opportunity obligations. We embrace diversity and welcome application from all people, including all gender identities, ages, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and disability. A workforce that is diverse and inclusive means that we are better positioned to understand and service our community. We are pro-equity health organisation, with a particular focus on Māori, Pacific Peoples, and the Disability Community. 

How to Apply 

To apply please click “apply now.” All applications must be submitted through our online careers’ portal by 10 December. If you have any questions about the role, please contact Philip.Adamson@tewhatuora.govt.nz 

We will review applications as received and may proceed with the recruitment process, before the closing date of this advertisement.