Dental Assistant

Department of Veterans Affairs • Lincoln, NE

75d • Remote

About The Position

The Dental Assistant assists the dentist in many aspects of direct patient care and performs other clinical and clerical functions independently with direct supervision.

Responsibilities

• Shows courtesy, respect, and a positive attitude for patients, co-workers and the public.
• Provides assistance to customers with questions or concerns, provides service recovery.
• Sets up operatory and/or surgery suite for planned dental procedure and cleans dental unit for timely.
• Passes instruments safely, accurately, and efficiently.
• Keeps operative field clear of debris and retracts oral tissues effectively and comfortably.
• Prepares dental medicaments and impression materials per manufacturers instructions.
• Accomplishes all intra-operative procedures within standard infection control protocols.
• Assists in routine general dental procedures.
• Assists in specialized dental procedures, such as oral maxillofacial surgery, endodontics, and surgical periodontics.
• Images are characterized by diagnostic quality, accurately oriented and exposed.
• Utilizes dental imaging safety techniques, minimizing retakes.
• Accomplishes imaging requests within the desired time frame.
• Demonstrates proper infection control procedures in setting up and cleaning up operatories.
• Prepares instruments for sterilization by SPD standards.
• Assists patients in scheduling appointments.
• Fills gaps in the doctors schedule due to late cancellations and failed appointments.
• Assists dentist in charting findings and treatment plans in patient records.
• Maintains patient confidentiality per HIPAA with written and verbal information.
• Follows computer security regulations.
• Modifies care as necessitated by patients age and abilities.
• Provides accurate and understandable instructions to patients.
• Participates in patient identification and time out per JCAHO requirements.
• Monitors patient condition during treatment being alert for signs of physical distress.
• Monitors patient (BP, pulse EKG, pulse oximeter) during moderate sedation and recovery period.
• Complies with Employee Education requirements.
• Completes mandatory annual safety training sessions.
• Pours impressions and prepares study models.
• Makes final denture impression trays and prepares bite rims.
• Performs other dental laboratory functions as time and skill levels allow.
• Removes sutures and periodontal surgical dressing.
• Takes impressions for diagnostic casts and preliminary impressions for prosthetic fabrication.
• Removes temporary crown/bridge and cleans tooth preparation of debris.
• Recements and fabricates temporary crowns.
• Performs coronal polishing of teeth.
• Places rubber dams and matrix bands.
• Provides post-operative and other appropriate patient education.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and regular salary increases.
• 37-50 days of annual paid time off per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year).
• After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.
• After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66.
• Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA.
• Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care insurance (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement).

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Industry: Administration of Human Resource Programs
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees