Dental Assistant at The Dental Views

We are seeking an experienced and collaborative individual to join our dynamic state of the art dental practice! As a Dental Assistant, you will provide critical support to all aspects of our dental practice; helping to ensure we are providing high-level quality care to our patients. Our ideal candidate will be highly motivated, organized, and positive with a desire to achieve organizational goals.

Description

Now is the time to join The Dental Views. You will have opportunities to learn new skills from our team of experienced professionals. If you're ready to take your career to the next level and gain valuable experience, apply today!

Overview

Do you love working with patients to make sure they can get the treatment they need? Are you great at helping patients understand their need treatment needs and also the importance to their health and well-being? Are you looking for a challenge and the chance to be part of a true team environment where you can constantly learn and grow? If so, now is the time to join us as a Dental Assistant.

Dental Assistant

Reports To

Office Manager and Lead Dental Assistant

Work Schedule

The Dental Assistant will be notified of the work schedule on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basis. The Dental Assistant's schedule is subject to change (daily/weekly hours may increase or decrease) according to the needs of the practice. Evening and weekend hours may be required. This position is paid on an hourly basis.

Job Overview

The Dental Assistant performs a variety of dental assisting duties while promoting a safe and cleanly environment for providing quality dental care. These duties include, but are not limited to, assisting the doctor; communicating effectively with patients (or parents if the patient is a child); maintaining equipment and inventory; cleaning, sterilizing, and packaging instruments; and following universal precautions, OSHA requirements, and dental board auxiliaries' regulations.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to stand, sit, and walk; talk, hear, and smell; and use hands, fingers, and wrists (manual dexterity and hand-eye coordination) to handle or feel the mouth/teeth and gums of patients, as well as objects, tools, or controls associated with the dental field. The employee is frequently/occasionally required to reach; lift and/or move up to 25 pounds; and balance, stoop, bend, squat, kneel, crawl, climb, twist, pull, and crouch. The essential functions of this position require specific vision abilities, including close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. The essential functions of this position will occasionally result in the following: hazardous exposure (chemical arid infections); non-ionizing radiation (welding flash, microwaves, sun, etc.); radiation (x-ray, radioactive, isotopes, etc.); noise (loud/repetitive, 85 decibels per OSHA standard); and personal protective equipment (PPE: respiratory masks, latex gloves, face shields, etc.).

Risk Factors

The dental office environment may result in employees being exposed to toxic chemicals, potentially infectious bodily fluids and materials, and increased noise levels. This position assumes a moderate risk.

Qualifications

• A minimum of one year of recent experience as a Dental Assistant preferred
• Current Radiographic Certification preferred
• Graduation from an accredited Dental Assisting School preferred
• Advanced knowledge and use of dental terminology preferred
• Bilingual: English & Spanish required (if the geographic location of the office does not require the applicant to be bilingual, applicants who only speak English may be considered)
• CPR and First-Aid certification preferred
• Means to travel from one office to another, required as necessary

Interpersonal And Organizational Skill Requirements

• Strong communication skills
• Exceptional human relation skills
• Ability to work with people of all ages
• Ability to relate, communicate with, and work with people from different backgrounds and cultures
• Ability to handle conflict and get along with people
• Ability to maintain outgoing, friendly attitude with patients and coworkers, even under pressure
• Ability to work with interruptions and to manage multiple priorities
• Accuracy in basic math
• Ability to write, concisely, logically, and legibly
• Ability to meet deadlines
• Ability to satisfactorily perform essential functions of the position

Responsibilities and Duties

• Open/close the back office as instructed
• Prepare operatories for various procedures
• Prepare trays for various procedures
• Ensure that operatories are stocked and cleaned at all times
• Attend to perform X-rays by directing the patient to the proper location in a courteous and friendly manner
• Greet and seat patients in the x-ray chair
• Takes the blood pressure and pulse of all adult patients and document in Open Dental/Dentrix Ascend
• Ask all patients the following questions before taking x-rays:

• When was your last dental visit?
• When was the last time you had x-rays taken of your mouth?
• Where were your last x-rays taken?
• Why did you decide to come into the office for an appointment today? What seems to be your biggest complaint?
• Ask all female patients the following question: Is there any possibility that you may be pregnant? (If yes, consult with the Doctor. Possible follow-up may involve placing a double lead apron as a shield.)
• Accurately and completely document patient care activities in the chart as directed by the doctor and Company policy
• Check x-ray images ns make sure the desired quality was achieved-this is necessary to ensure a satisfactory diagnosis
• Seat patients in an operatory or back in the waiting room upon completion of x-rays (check the operatory to make sure it is clean and disinfected before seating a patient)
• Inform the doctor when a patient is waiting in an operatory
• Be professional and courteous to the patients at ALL times, have a positive attitude, and be motivated to work
• Maintain back-office counter throughout the day; ensure it is neat and clean
• Greet and seat patients as soon as possible (check the operatory to make sure it is clean and disinfected before seating a new patient)
• Inform the doctor when a patient is waiting in an operatory
• Check for patients' signatures on the Health Questionnaire and Informed Consent Form
• Assist the dentists during various procedures and rotate with dentists as requested
• Accurately and completely document patient care activities in the chart as directed by the doctor and Company policy
• Accurately able to electronically chart existing and diagnostic procedures into Open Dental/Dentrix Ascend for all patients
• Explain treatment plans to patients as needed

• Escort patients to the front office area for patient dismissal when treatment is completed, and inform the receptionist when and for what their next visit(s) must be scheduled
• Disinfect operatories
• Disinfect general back-office areas
• Apply all-wrap in and around operatories where needed
• Clean, sterilize, and package dental instruments
• Prepare lab cases
• Assist Floor Supervisor in ordering supplies and instruments
• Organize the back office area as instructed
• Be professional and courteous to the patients at ALL times, have a positive attitude, and be motivated to work.
• Clean and maintain all equipment following maintenance guidelines
• Turn off all equipment nightly, including the vacuum, compressor, etc.
• Ensure that handpieces are properly cleaned and oiled
• Clean back-office restroom throughout the day
• Follow-up with lab and maintain the log on partials and remakes.
• Check next day appointment schedule for all lab cases and verify that they are ready, if not, see that the patient is rescheduled
• Review the Hazard Communication book and sign the training log
• Ensure that hazardous products are properly labeled
• Follow waste disposal procedures for Sharps and contaminated material/chemicals.
• Wear protective barriers (face shield mask, gloves, and gown)
• Ensure proper sterilization and infection control guidelines are utilized
• Comply with rules and regulations of all agencies and regulatory bodies
• Comply with safety regulations and universal precaution practices
• Comply with Dental Auxiliaries' Regulations from Dental Board
• Comply with all Safety, Emergency, Hazard, OSHA, HIPAA, Sterilization, Clinical, Quality Assurance, and Administrative Plans, Policies, Guidelines, Protocol, and Standards
• Assist with patient registration, if requested
• Assist receptionist with data entry and back up duties as needed
• Assist Office Manager as requested
• Assist Office Manager, as needed, with general clerical and back-office duties
• Attend and participate in staff meetings and team huddles
• Other duties as assigned by the Office Manager, Regional Manager

Independent Action

Under general supervision of the Office Manager and Lead Dental Assistant, regular duties performed by the Dental Assistant require independent judgment. The Dental Assistant must consult with her/his supervisor regarding patient problems or confrontation, policy issues, expenditures, and unusual problems.

Dental Assistants are not to perform expanded functions, which are not permissible by the Dental Practice Act, even if asked to do so by the doctor. If a Dental Assistant is asked by the doctor to perform functions for which she/he is not permitted by the Dental Practice Act, she/he must inform the Lead Dental Assistant, Office Manager, or the Regional Manager as soon as possible. (See Policy on "Expanded functions") Dental Assistants are not to diagnose patients. This is the doctor's responsibility. Employees found doing so will be subject to disciplinary action up to, and including termination.