Dental Hygienist

CHARTER OAK HEALTH CENTER INC•Hartford, CT

47d•Onsite

About The Position

The Dental Hygienist will remove soft and hard deposits from teeth, teach patients about good oral hygiene, and provide other preventive dental care. This role involves examining patients’ teeth and gums, recording the presence of diseases or abnormalities, removing calculus, stains, and plaque from teeth, performing root planning as a periodontal therapy, taking and developing dental X-rays, and applying cavity-preventive agents such as fluorides and pit and fissure sealants. The position also includes providing clinical services and health education to improve and maintain the oral health of school children, conducting dental health clinics for community groups, and performing miscellaneous duties as required. Maintaining appropriate attendance is essential.

Requirements

Certificate in Dental Hygiene from an accredited school.
Current license to practice in the state of Connecticut.

Responsibilities

Remove soft and hard deposits from teeth.
Teach patients how to practice good oral hygiene.
Provide preventive dental care.
Examine patients’ teeth and gums, recording the presence of diseases or abnormalities.
Remove calculus, stains, and plaque from teeth.
Perform root planning as a periodontal therapy.
Take and develop dental X-rays.
Apply cavity-preventive agents such as fluorides and pit and fissure sealants.
Clean calcareous deposits, accretions, and stains from teeth and beneath margins of gums, using dental instruments.
Feel and visually examine gums for sores and signs of disease.
Chart conditions of decay and disease for diagnosis and treatment by dentist.
Feel lymph nodes under patient's chin to detect swelling or tenderness that could indicate oral cancer.
Apply fluorides and other cavity preventing agents to arrest dental decay.
Examine gums, using probes, to locate periodontal recessed gums and signs of gum disease.
Expose and develop x-ray film.
Provide clinical services and health education to improve and maintain oral health of school children.
Remove excess cement from coronal surfaces of teeth.
Make impressions for study casts.
Place, carve, and finish amalgam restorations.
Administer local anesthetic agents.
Conduct dental health clinics for community groups to augment services of dentist.
Remove sutures and dressings.
Perform miscellaneous duties as required by management.
Maintain appropriate attendance.
Comply with applicable legal requirements, standards, policies and procedures including but not limited those within the Compliance Process, Code of Conduct, HIPAA and Corporate Integrity Agreement (CIA).
Participate in required orientation and training programs, as required.
Report concerns and suspected incidences of non-compliance in accordance with COHC Compliance Reporting Process.
Cooperate with monitoring and audit functions and investigations.
Participate, as requested, in process improvement responsibilities.