Dental Assistant

Chenega Government Mission Solutions•Lawton, OK

15h•$21 - $24•Onsite

About The Position

Chenega Government Mission Solutions, LLC, a Chenega Professional Services company, is hiring a full-time Dental Assistant to support Lawton Indian Hospital in Lawton, Oklahoma. The regular schedule is Monday through Friday, 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 assistant may also be assigned to the Anadarko Indian Health Center during regular work hours when staffing shortages require it, using an IHS vehicle. The role supports dental care by collecting patient screening information, triaging emergency patients, taking digital radiographs, and assisting providers during dental procedures. It also includes preparing and sterilizing instruments, maintaining equipment and operatories, providing assigned preventive treatments, communicating care instructions, and directing patients and visitors. The stated pay range is USD $20.50 to $24.00 per hour.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent.
At least 1 year of experience in direct-practice dental assisting.
Active Basic Life Support (BLS) certification.
Ability to work onsite in Lawton, Oklahoma.
Knowledge of instruments, materials, and procedures normally used in restorative, prosthodontic, oral surgical, endodontic, and periodontal treatment.
Knowledge of dental anatomy and the 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 steps and techniques for placing dental sealants.
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.
Provide chairside assistance, primarily in general dentistry, and assist with specialized procedures as needed, 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 operatories 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 members, and record pertinent patient or message information for accurate communication.