Dental Hygienist

NCDHD•Columbus, NE

27d

About The Position

The Dental Hygienist provides preventive oral care under generalized supervision, serving children, families, and older adults across schools, community programs, and long-term care facilities in Boone, Colfax, Nance, and Platte Counties. The role operates beyond a traditional clinic setting and offers autonomy, community impact, and meaningful patient relationships. Duties are performed within the scope of dental hygiene practice, including scaling, root planing, coronal polishing, administering local anesthetic, exposing radiographs, placing sealants and chemotherapeutic agents, inspecting the oral cavity for abnormal tissue, taking alginate impressions, and assisting the dentist as needed.

Requirements

Graduate of an accredited Dental Hygiene program.
Current Nebraska Dental Hygienist license.
Local anesthetic certification.
Basic Life Support (BLS) certification.
Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
Ability to work effectively with diverse populations.
Commitment to maintaining confidentiality.

Nice To Haves

Previous dental hygiene or community health experience.
Experience with portable dental equipment.
Bilingual skills or experience working with interpreters.

Responsibilities

Perform oral prophylaxis and root planing using supra- and subgingival scaling with hand or ultrasonic instruments, coronal polishing as needed, and head, neck, and oral cancer screenings.
Assist with copying, filing, faxing, updating pre-authorizations and plans, and other administrative support projects.
Apply sealants, SDF, fluoride varnish, or other chemotherapeutic agents in collaboration with and as prescribed by the dentist.
Expose radiographs in collaboration with and as prescribed by the dentist.
Perform periodontal and caries assessments and complete required and appropriate charting in collaboration with the dentist.
Monitor nitrous oxide.
Assist the dentist or other team members when necessary or as time permits.
Clean and stock the operatory and maintain equipment as needed.
Provide oral health education, including information about the relationship between oral and systemic health, and explain treatment plans and options to patients.
Review patient health histories and take blood pressure and pulse vitals.
Practice universal precautions and other sterilization and infection-control procedures.
Provide callers with information regarding patient care as directed by the dentist.