Dental Assistant - High Point (1.0 FTE)

Neighborcare Health•Seattle, WA

1d•$27 - $34

About The Position

The Dental Assistant provides chairside support to the Dentist and/or Dental Hygienist for scheduled procedures and prepares and maintains the instruments and equipment needed to support patient treatment. The role works in partnership with other team members to advance Neighborcare Health’s mission, guiding principles, service commitments, and goals. Direct patient care includes preparing and disinfecting operatories; assisting with restorative work, surgical extractions, basic endodontics, scaling and root planing, pediatrics, and removable prosthodontics; interviewing patients and collecting vital signs; providing sealants, fluoride treatments, coronal polishing, and oral hygiene instruction; taking digital x-rays, intraoral photos, digital scans, and impressions; pouring impressions; fabricating provisional crowns; preparing dental materials and placing rubber dams, matrices, and wedges; and passing instruments using aseptic techniques and appropriate safety standards. The Dental Assistant anticipates and responds to patient needs under dentist supervision. Indirect patient care duties include routine equipment maintenance, chart review before treatment, preparing the clinic and appointments for the next workday, coordinating daily schedules with dental providers, participating in team huddles and meetings, scheduling appointments in the EHR as needed, contacting patients about care needs and documenting in the EDR, and reporting safety events in a timely manner while maintaining ethical standards. Neighborcare Health provides collaborative medical, dental, and mental health services, with a focus on serving communities that face barriers to care. The organization serves patients across nearly 30 nonprofit medical, dental, and school-based clinics in the Seattle area.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent.
Current Washington State Department of Health Dental Assistant license.
BLS certification.
At least 280 hours of chairside dental assisting experience.
Ability to work in a fast-paced, complex health care environment.
Ability to comply with HIPAA and confidentiality policies and handle confidential and sensitive patient and staff information.
Knowledge of and adherence to asepsis, universal precautions, and sterilization processes.
Knowledge and understanding of dental terminology, instruments, and procedures.
Ability to work respectfully and effectively with people of varying ethnicities, socioeconomic levels, cultures, and sexual orientations.
Ability to conduct discussions of a sensitive nature with staff and patients.
Ability to build relationships while maintaining appropriate boundaries.
Ability to develop collaborative working relationships that support a positive, team-oriented work environment.
Effective time management skills.

Nice To Haves

Proficiency with computers, email, and electronic medical and dental records.
Completion of an accredited Dental Assistant program.
One year of dental assisting experience.

Responsibilities

Prepare and disinfect the operatory and set up instruments, materials, and appropriate anesthetic for scheduled procedures.
Provide chairside assistance for restorative work, surgical extractions, basic endodontics, scaling and root planing, pediatrics, and removable prosthodontics.
Interview patients about the reason for their visit and collect vital signs, such as blood pressure.
Place sealants; perform fluoride treatments and coronal polishing; and provide oral hygiene instruction.
Take digital x-rays, intraoral photos, and digital scans; take and pour impressions; and fabricate provisional crowns.
Mix materials and place rubber dams, matrices, and wedges.
Pass instruments while maintaining aseptic techniques and appropriate safety standards.
Anticipate and respond to patient needs under dentist supervision.
Provide courteous, service-oriented support and anticipate dental providers’ needs.
Perform routine equipment maintenance as assigned.
Review patient charts before treatment.
Prepare the clinic for the next day’s schedule and appointments.
Communicate with dental providers about daily schedules to optimize the patient experience.
Participate in team huddles, sharing patient insights and helping identify needs or care gaps.
Schedule patient appointments in the EHR as needed.
Call patients regarding care needs and document accurately in the EDR as directed.
Participate in back-office dental meetings, huddles, and staff meetings.
Maintain ethical standards and report safety events promptly.