Dental Assistant I - Entry Level

Choptank Community Health System, Inc..•Denton, MD

3h•Onsite

About The Position

The Dental Assistant I (DAI) is responsible for preparing, sterilizing, organizing, and setting up dental equipment, ensuring all dental instruments are cleaned, dated, and processed according to established safety guidelines and standards. This role involves monitoring and maintaining various dental equipment such as compressors, evacuators, radiographic equipment, sterilizers, and light curing units, following manufacturer’s guidelines. The DAI provides chairside assistance to dentists and dental hygienists during clinical dental care procedures, including operative, preventative, periodontal, endodontic, prosthetic, and/or oral surgery, as deemed comfortable by the dentist. Additional duties include ordering and maintaining inventories of dental clinic supplies, equipment, and instruments, as well as maintaining dental laboratory slips and creating and managing dental records in accordance with established protocols. Basic computer skills are required for this non-exempt, full-time position.

Requirements

Must be proficient in basic computer skills.
Career-focused
Passion/interest in pursuing a career in dentistry.
CPR certification.
High school diploma or GED certificate.
Completes EHR competency upon hire.
Dental Radiation Technician license from the state of Maryland required to be obtained within one year of hire.

Nice To Haves

Dental experience is a benefit, but not a requirement for this position.

Responsibilities

Maintains a safe and hygienic patient environment.
Always completes necessary equipment monitoring per established clinical protocol, follows equipment maintenance schedules and completes logs.
Maintains patient operatories, including daily disinfection, setup and stocking of dental supplies.
Cleans and maintains dental laboratory area daily, and the equipment as necessary (including maintenance of vacuum/compressor, cleaning evacuation lines, etc. per clinical protocol).
Monitors and maintains autoclave equipment and dental instruments as necessary to ensure sterile condition and techniques.
Prepares laboratory cases to include, contacting the laboratory, preparing for shipment, packaging, and monitoring due date back to the office.
Maintains proper inventory of supplies by communicating low stock to designated person or ordering if required.
Quality Control Data- monitors oxygen and nitrous oxide tanks, checks fire extinguishers, checks medications for expiration.
Completes Autoclave competency and N2O Quality Assurance Competency upon hire and annually thereafter.
Performs other duties as required.
Takes initiative to solve problems and recommends improvements to lead dental assistant or other leadership as it applies.
Traveling to other CCHS sites to cover shortages within the department.
Consistently displays professionalism during interaction with CCHS customers, staff, and clinicians. Practices AIDET.
A dental assistant’s duties may include answering telephones, greeting patients, scheduling appointments and facilitating referrals.
Makes recommendations for cost containment and/or quality improvement.
Takes initiative and prioritizes effectively.
Works with other staff to achieve a desirable working environment.
Takes initiative and anticipates needs of other dental assistants.
Assists dentist or dental hygienists.
Always prepares dental materials correctly, as needed, and in an amount sufficient to meet the need of the procedure.
Consistently anticipates the sequence of dental procedures and is prepared in advance of them as observed by the dentist.
Always ensures that chart information is accurate and complete and follows up with the dentist or dental hygienist.
Prior to appointment, reviews daily schedule and verifies treatment plan.
Assists students and residents with CCHS’s processes and procedures.
Assists front office dental staff with planning and scheduling of patient visits.
Assures that all instruments and materials are available prior to the patient’s arrival.
Triages dental emergencies.
Regular, reliable attendance is a requirement of this job.