Dental Hygienist, Medical-Dental Integration- Eastside Family Health Center

Denver Health•Denver, CO

1d•$80,000 - $120,000•Onsite

About The Position

Denver Health is seeking a mission-driven Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH) for Medical-Dental Integration (MDI) and Patient Services at the Eastside Family Health Center. This role is integral to a multi-discipline healthcare team, focusing on MDI in community medical clinics. The RDH will perform oral health assessments, apply fluoride, provide oral hygiene education, diagnose oral diseases, and develop treatment plans within the scope of practice in Colorado. Additionally, the RDH will deliver preventive and therapeutic dental hygiene services, including prophylaxis cleanings, periodontal maintenance, non-surgical periodontal therapy (NSPT), and dental sealant placement for patients of all ages in medical or dental clinics. The position may require the use of portable dental equipment and involves completing medical and dental histories, taking radiographs according to ALARA principles, recording vital signs, and ensuring up-to-date periodontal and dental exams.

Requirements

Associate's Degree in Dental Hygiene.
Less than 1 year of direct clinical practice.
Less than 1 year of experience in a Medical-Dental Integrated or school-based setting.
Dental Hygienist license from DORA - Department of Regulatory Agencies.
BLS-Basic Life Support (BLS/CPR) certification from AHA - American Heart Association or American Red Cross.
Local Anesthesia certification from DORA - Department of Regulatory Agencies.
Knowledge of dental hygiene procedures and techniques sufficient to perform the full scope of preventive dental hygiene services, including dental hygiene diagnosis of dental disease, oral health screenings, oral cancer screening, oral-systemic health education, fluoride treatment, dental sealants, prophylactic cleanings, and NSPT (scaling and root planning).
Critical thinking skills for determining when appropriate referrals are needed to dental specialists, medical care, and/or behavioral healthcare.
Knowledge of trauma-informed care practices and willingness to provide equitable, LGBTQ+ affirming, and culturally diverse healthcare.
Knowledge of motivational interviewing practices and ability to have effective coaching conversations with patients and their families around nutrition, oral-systemic health, oral diseases, home hygiene, and substance use.
Ability to prescribe and apply silver diamine fluoride (SDF) for arresting caries, dentinal hypersensitivity, and caries prevention with appropriate certification as determined by the Dental Practice Act.
Ability to place interim therapeutic restorations (ITR) on pediatric and adult patients after prescription of a supervising dentist, with the appropriate permit from the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) and as determined by the Dental Practice Act.
Compliance with Dental Practice Act for continuing education requirements.
Knowledge of ALARA principles for prescribing and capturing dental radiographs.

Responsibilities

Collaborate with pediatric and adult medical providers to complete dental screenings on identified patients.
Complete Caries Risk Assessments (CRA) for all patients.
Offer oral hygiene education and fluoride varnish applications as indicated.
Perform comprehensive dental hygiene services in community or school-based dental clinics for all-age patient care, including preventative prophylaxis cleanings, periodontal maintenance treatment, non-surgical periodontal therapy (NSPT), and placement of dental sealants.
Conduct dental hygiene assessment, diagnosis, and treatment planning for dental hygiene services.
Identify dental abnormalities for immediate referral to a Denver Health community health clinic (CHC) dentist.
Complete oral cancer screenings and take intraoral images when indicated for appropriate referral and follow-up.
Complete patient care notes within 72 hours of registration.
Provide case management and patient care navigation, including supporting treatment plan follow-up, insurance enrollment, appointment scheduling, referral management, transportation arrangement, and general patient education.
Complete daily required maintenance of portable dental equipment when applicable.
Complete medical and dental histories, take and record vital signs and pertinent medical history when indicated.
Ensure the patient's periodontal and dental exams are up to date.
Take necessary radiographs according to ALARA principles.

Benefits

Paid time off starting at 28 days per year, inclusive of vacation, personal/sick, and 7 Holidays
100% paid parental leave up to 6 weeks
Immediate eligibility for retirement plans with employer contribution up to 9.5%
Generous medical, dental, vision plans
Employer paid disability and life insurance
Comprehensive well-being programs including on-site employee fitness center located on Denver Health main campus and nationally recognized RESTORE Center
Free RTD EcoPass (public transportation)
Childcare discount programs & exclusive perks on large brands, travel, and more
Tuition reimbursement & assistance
Education, coaching, and professional development opportunities through the Workforce Development Center (WFDC) that support internal career growth and advancement pathways
Professional clinical advancement program & shared governance
Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) eligible employer + free student loan coaching and assistance navigating the PSLF program
National Health Service Corps (NHCS) and Colorado Health Service Corps (CHSC) eligible employer