Community Oral Health Officer (COHO)

Role Overview

This position sits at the frontline of oral healthcare delivery, taking preventive, promotive and basic curative dental services out of the clinic and into the communities that need them most. Working largely in rural and underserved settings, you will combine chairside clinical work with school visits, outreach camps and mobile service points to reduce the burden of untreated dental disease. Your work directly supports the organisation's mandate to expand access to affordable oral care and to build lasting oral health awareness among populations that seldom reach a fixed dental facility.

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct oral examinations, screenings and triage for patients presenting at static clinics, mobile dental units and community outreach sites, recording findings accurately and recommending the appropriate course of treatment.
• Deliver preventive services such as scaling and polishing, topical fluoride application, fissure sealants and oral health education tailored to children, expectant mothers and other priority groups.
• Carry out basic curative procedures within your scope of practice, including management of dental caries, simple extractions and treatment of common oral conditions, referring complex or advanced cases to dental surgeons or higher-level facilities.
• Plan and run school dental health programmes, including screening schedules, classroom education sessions, and follow-up for learners identified as needing treatment.
• Organise and participate in community outreach activities, health talks and mobile dental camps in collaboration with community health promoters and local leaders.
• Maintain strict infection prevention and control standards, including sterilisation of instruments, safe disposal of sharps and clinical waste, and correct handling of dental materials.
• Capture service data in the electronic health management information system and prepare periodic reports on service uptake, procedures performed and outreach coverage for decision-making.
• Manage dental supplies, instruments and consumables at your station, tracking usage and flagging stock-outs or equipment faults in good time.

Requirements & Qualifications

• Diploma or degree in Community Oral Health from a recognised training institution.
• Active registration and a valid practising licence issued by the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC).
• At least two (2) years of experience gained after completing internship.
• Valid Basic Life Support (BLS) certification.
• Demonstrated clinical competence in dental hygiene, oral health promotion, and infection prevention and control.
• Working knowledge of computer applications, particularly health management information systems used for routine service reporting.
• Added advantage: prior involvement in community outreach programmes, school dental health initiatives or mobile dental clinic operations.