Dental Hygienist

MEDNORTH HEALTH CENTER•Wilmington, NC

44d•Onsite

About The Position

Under the general direction of the Chief Dental Officer, the Dental Hygienist performs dental prophylactic treatments and instructs individuals and/or groups in the care of their teeth and mouth. The dental hygienist is responsible for primary preventive dental education.

Requirements

Graduate of a Dental Hygienist Program.
Licensed by the North Carolina Board of Dentistry.
Knowledge of standards of practice and procedures in a dental clinic.
Possesses the ability to communicate effectively with patients, staff and community groups.
Possesses the ability to understand technical and medical terminology as they relate to dentistry.
Ability to teach.
Ability to speak English fluently
The Dental Hygienist must understand medical terminology, accurate keyboarding skills, ability to process work error free -- Ability to use standard office equipment, including computers, photocopiers, and facsimile machines -- Ability to learn, understand, and use Internet insurance eligibility systems
Excellent interpersonal and customer service skills
Excellent telephone etiquette
Teamwork and communication skills essential
Treat all patients, co-workers, and managers with courtesy and respect
Cognitive reasoning
Clear thinking in high-pressure situations
Ability to prioritize and withstand pressure of continual work with variable requirements
Ability to concentrate and maintain accuracy despite frequent interruptions
Critical thinking and organization skills, problem solving, and reasoning capabilities

Nice To Haves

Two years of experience preferred.
Spanish speaking or another language is a plus

Responsibilities

Provides preventive clinical services to include prophylaxis of teeth, application of sealants, oral hygiene education, baby bottle tooth decay education, radiographs, topical fluoride applications, impressions, coronal polishing, and amalgam polishing.
Prepares and sets up instruments such as dating all sterilized instruments, ultrasonic cleaning of all dirty instruments prior to bagging, sterilizing all appropriate instruments and putting clean instruments in the dental rooms.
Follows all OSHA standards as stated in Regulatory Compliance Manual and MedNorth Health Center Policies and Procedure Manual.
Cleans room (s) after each hygiene patient. Wipes chairs, instruments counter, etc., sprays and disinfects room. Rebags room and prepares for the next patient. At the end of the day straightens all operatories in preparation for the next day.
Provides the following radiology services: exposes and processed dental radiographs as ordered by the Chief Dental Officer. Assists in maintaining and updating the Radiation Safety Program annually and assists in maintaining and monitoring all dosimeter badges.
Keeps the Chief Dental Officer informed of supplies that must be ordered. Restocks rooms with ordered supplies.
Develops various oral health education programs for groups in the community, schools, boys and girls clubs, County Health Department and Head Start upon the request of the Chief Dental Officer.
Performs all duties as outlined by the North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners.
Protects patient confidentiality at all times by complying with patient confidentiality and HIPAA policies.
Provides in-service education to the dental staff and provide educational records to the Chief Dental Officer.
Serves as the on-site adjunct instructor for dental hygiene students from Cape Fear Community College and the University of Chapel Hill.
Corporate Compliance: It is an essential job element that everyone be compliant with the full law and fully cooperates with the compliance program without fear of retaliations from the organization.
Maintain monthly recall system.