Dental Assistant

Chenega Corporation•Lawton, OK

16h•Onsite

About The Position

Chenega Government Mission Solutions, LLC, a Chenega Professional Services company, is seeking a Dental Assistant to support Lawton Indian Hospital. This is a full-time, onsite position in Lawton, Oklahoma, with a Monday-Friday schedule from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The Chief Dental Officer may adjust shift hours based on workload, up to eight hours per day and 40 hours per week. Federal holiday work is not required. The Dental Assistant may also be assigned to work at the Anadarko Indian Health Center when needed because of staff shortages, traveling in an IHS vehicle during regular work hours. The role supports general dentistry and, as needed, specialized procedures. Duties include recording patient information, assisting with radiographs and procedures, preparing and sterilizing instruments, maintaining treatment areas and equipment, providing assigned preventive care, and sharing instructions with patients. The company describes an employee benefits program, management engagement, quality leadership, teamwork, performance recognition, and promotion opportunities.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent.
At least 1 year of direct-practice dental assisting experience.
Active Basic Life Support (BLS) certification.
Ability to work onsite in Lawton, Oklahoma.
Knowledge of instruments, materials, and procedures used in restorative, prosthodontic, oral surgical, endodontic, and periodontal treatment.
Knowledge of dental anatomy and ability to properly expose and mount diagnostic radiographs.
Ability to explain post-operative instructions, disease-prevention techniques, and home-care instructions to patients.
Knowledge of the steps and techniques for placing sealants on teeth.
Knowledge and skill in tooth-isolation techniques needed to maintain a dry field for placement of restorations and sealants.
Knowledge of sterilization techniques.

Responsibilities

Obtain and record vital signs and screening data in electronic dental and health records.
Triage emergency dental patients.
Take intraoral and extraoral (panoramic) digital radiographs and obtain diagnostic-quality images, taking additional exposures as needed.
Assist chairside primarily with general dentistry and, as needed, with specialized procedures including oral surgery, prosthetics, operative dentistry, endodontics, periodontics, and pedodontics.
Prepare dental instruments and materials before procedures; evacuate blood and secretions from the oral cavity; and transfer instruments to the provider during procedures.
Clean and transport soiled instruments after procedures; perform pre-sterilization cleaning, package and sterilize instruments, and complete routine equipment and operatory maintenance.
Clean the operatory and work surfaces between patients.
Provide routine rubber-cup prophylaxis and apply topical fluoride treatment as assigned by the dentist.
Relay post-operative instructions, disease-prevention techniques, and home-care instructions to patients.
Place pit and fissure sealants as prescribed by the dentist.
Direct patients or visitors, refer callers to appropriate staff, and record pertinent patient or message information to ensure accurate messages are given to staff.
Work at the Anadarko Indian Health Center when assigned due to staff shortages, using an IHS vehicle during regular work hours.