Job Description

Job Title:  

Dental Assistant

Reports To:

 Dental Assistant Supervisor

Job Summary: 

To assist Dentist and Dental Hygienist at chair side.

                                                                                                                                                                       

Qualifications and Requirements:

To perform this job successfully, and individual must be able to perform each essential job duty satisfactorily.  The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.  This job description in no way implies that these are the only duties to be performed and may be modified, interpreted and/or applied in any way as necessary. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential duties.

 

Essential Job Duties:

  • Assists Dentist or Dental Hygienist in the performance of dental procedures.
  • Performs suctioning, instrument sterilization, etc.
  • Prepares, processes, and mounts intra-oral and panoramic radiographs.
  • Returns all patient charts to Medical Records in a timely manner.
  • Regularly ensures adherence to all state and federal regulations.
  • Assists with inventory control and laboratory service tracking.
  • Keeps informed of advancements in dentistry and attends continuing education courses.
  • Regularly maintains all dental equipment within the facility.
  • Performs all other related duties and reporting as assigned.
  • Performs Sedation and Operating room job functions.
  • Calls patient’s guardian the day before the sedation procedure to provide reminder of appointment time and instruction for food intake prior to the procedure.
  • Ensures all relevant consents are signed the day of the sedation procedure.
  • Ensures that all equipment, including emergency equipment, is set up and in working condition for the procedure as per sedation policy.
  • Ensures a responsible adult is present to escort the patient home.
  • Ensures that all pre sedation instructions have been followed the day of the procedure.
  • Ensures that vital signs and weight have been recorded prior to procedure.
  • Assists sedation dental provider during the procedure.
  • Assists with post sedation care.
  • Ensures that patient’s guardian receives discharge instructions.
  • Post discharge follow up call to parent guardian.

 

Required Education, Experience, Certificates & Licenses:

  • High School Diploma or GED.
  • Two years of experience as a Dental Assistant preferred.
  • Certification as a Dental Assistant.
  • X-Ray Certification
  • Fingerprint Clearance Card (as needed)
  • Hospital Registration completion (as needed)

 Required Language Skills:

  • Ability to comprehend and compose instructions, correspondence and communications in English in both oral and written format.
  • Bilingual in English and Spanish preferred, but not required.
  • Ability to comprehend and understand dental terminology.

 Physical Requirements:

  • Ability to frequently exert enough force to move objects weighing up to 25 pounds.
  • Ability to frequently remain in a stationary position for up to two hours.
  • Ability to constantly move about inside the work place to assist patients, operate office or dental equipment, etc.
  • Possesses hand-eye coordination and manual dexterity necessary to constantly operate computer, telephone, and other office machinery.
  • Possesses close visual acuity necessary to accurately record and view information on a computer monitor, handwritten and typed documents.
  • Ability to discern the nature of sounds at a normal spoken volume.
  • Possesses range of body motion and ability to exert enough force to lift and move adult and pediatric patients.

 Other Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

  • Ability to perform medical math that may include the use of ratio/proportion, dosage calculation, metric and household equivalents, roman numerals, abbreviations, and general math including percentages, etc.
  • Ability to gather data in an organized fashion from varied sources.
  • Ability to perform variety of assignments requiring independent judgment.
  • Ability to identify and resolve problems in a timely manner.
  • Knowledge of HIPAA and ability to maintain patient confidentiality and privacy at all times.
  • Computer literacy required.
  • Knowledge of Electronic Health Records preferred.
  • Familiarity with QSI Dental Records, Aptrex (dental x-ray software) preferred.

 Work Environment & Conditions:

  • Work environment is typical of a health clinic setting with occasional exposure to communicable diseases, bodily fluids and hazardous chemicals.
  • Work frequently involves dental equipment and machinery with proximity to electrical current, and exposure to moving mechanical parts and some hazardous chemicals.
  • Work requires occasional travel and flexible hours so that early morning, evenings and weekends are accommodated.