Dental Assistant III - Community Dentistry

Creighton University•Omaha, NE

About The Position

The Dental Assistant III for Community Dentistry supports dentists, hygienists, and dental students in teaching and patient care in community-based settings and the dental clinic. The primary patient populations served are pediatric patients in elementary schools. The role assists in teaching best practices for patient care, particularly for vulnerable populations, and prepares work areas, equipment, instruments, and supplies. It maintains equipment and instruments and ensures their proper disinfection, transportation, sterilization, and storage. The Dental Assistant helps verify authorization and consent to treat, ensure medical histories are current, maintain timely and complete records, arrange appropriate follow-up care, guide dental students, and collect program or billing data for reporting. The position works across multiple locations and delivery environments, including community sites and a dental clinic. It involves supporting students and faculty with patient care, maintaining portable and mobile dental equipment, applying infection-control and asepsis practices, and using electronic health records and dental software. The role also requires reliable transportation between sites and physical handling of mobile dental equipment and patient assistive devices.

Requirements

Graduation from an accredited Dental Assisting School with Radiology Certification.
A minimum of 10 years of dental assisting experience.
Experience operating and maintaining dental equipment, particularly portable dental units, mobile dental equipment, and portable radiographic equipment.
Documented experience in complex dental delivery settings.
Experience with interprofessional communication and providing interdisciplinary whole-person health care.
Experience with electronic healthcare record systems and medical and dental record-keeping practices.
Experience applying HIPAA, FERPA, and Infection Control standards in clinical and community-based settings.
Valid U.S. driver's license and an acceptable driving record under Creighton's Vehicle Safety policy.
At least two years of licensed driving experience and at least 19 years of age at the time of hire.
Strong interpersonal and human-relations skills, including active listening, empathy, and non-verbal communication.
Leadership and organizational skills to manage multiple tasks within time constraints and with appropriate urgency.
Attention to detail and anticipatory judgment regarding patient safety, comfort, and follow-up.
Demonstrated competency in Word, Excel, and MS Office.
Ability to use multiple dental software systems for record keeping, billing, and reporting.
Knowledge of dental emergency response and medical emergency kits.
Reliable means of transportation to commute to multiple sites.
Ability to lift, push, and pull up to 25 pounds of mobile dental equipment and transport patients with assistive devices.
Capacity to work independently, efficiently, and in an organized manner.
Proficiency in electronic health records for patient documentation and Excel databases; comfort using telehealth as a service-delivery method.

Nice To Haves

Experience in the social services field; the role is anticipated to serve as a liaison between the School of Dentistry and community rotation sites.

Responsibilities

Support dentists, hygienists, and dental students in teaching and patient care in community-based settings and the dental clinic.
Assist in teaching best practices for patient care, especially for vulnerable populations.
Prepare work areas, equipment, instruments, and supplies for patient care.
Maintain dental equipment and instruments, including appropriate disinfection, transportation, sterilization, and storage.
Help ensure authorization and consent to treat are appropriate and updated medical histories are available.
Help ensure record keeping is timely and complete and arrange appropriate follow-up care.
Give guidance and direction to dental students.
Collect program and/or billing data for reporting purposes.
Set up, troubleshoot, maintain, and tear down portable and mobile dental equipment.
Apply fluoride varnish, obtain diagnostic radiographs, and provide post-operative or oral hygiene instructions in culturally and linguistically appropriate ways.
Maintain dental equipment and supply inventories within budget and according to utilization and scope of services.
Apply infection-control and asepsis standards across delivery environments, including decontamination, packaging, sterilization, monitoring, logging, tracking, transportation, and storage of instruments, equipment, and PPE.
Assist dental students and faculty with care for vulnerable populations, including taking radiographs, suctioning, and passing instruments and materials.
Work collaboratively with a healthcare team across multiple locations.
Use electronic health records and dental software for documentation, billing, reporting, and related record-keeping needs.
Use telehealth as a service-delivery method.