Hygienist - FL Tallahassee Tuesday to Friday

Coast Dental•Tallahassee, FL

About The Position

The Registered Dental Hygienist provides licensed dental hygiene services, implements appropriate standards-of-care therapy, and assists the dentist with hygiene, periodontal, and dental care. The hygienist performs assessments, develops periodontal treatment plans based on the dentist’s diagnosis, and provides patients with oral and overall health education and instruction. The role is based in clean, well-lit offices. It requires adherence to radiological procedures and infection-control protocols, as well as appropriate personal protective equipment when providing patient care, handling contaminated instruments or equipment, administering anesthetic gas, using cleaning chemicals, or working in the dental laboratory. Required protective equipment includes safety glasses, surgical masks, full-arm-length gowns or lab coats, and gloves. Open-toe shoes are prohibited; long hair must be pulled back, and fingernails must be short and tidy.

Requirements

Must be licensed and in good standing with the State of Florida.
Associate’s or bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene.
Current Basic Life Support (BLS) and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certificates.
Willingness to partner with the dentist and work effectively as part of the dental team.
Visual acuity and manual dexterity to use dental instruments in a patient’s mouth with little room for error.

Responsibilities

Assess patients’ teeth, bone, and periodontal tissues for abnormalities or suspected diseases or conditions.
Create periodontal treatment plans based on the dentist’s diagnosis.
Bring suspected lesions in the mouth or on the teeth to the dentist’s immediate attention.
Remove soft and hard deposits and extrinsic stains from teeth using hand instruments, ultrasonic cavitron inserts, and prophy handpieces.
Instruct patients on oral hygiene practices, recommend appropriate home-care products or devices, and provide other health-care education as needed.
Perform prophylaxis when periodontal disease or gingivitis is absent.
Perform full-mouth debridement as initial gingivitis therapy or to remove calculus that interferes with diagnosis and treatment planning.
Perform scaling and root planing as periodontal therapy.
Place locally administered antibiotics as supportive periodontal therapy.
Perform irrigation and desensitizing procedures or use products as adjuncts to periodontal therapy.
Position and expose dental and carpal radiographic film and sensors.
Perform in-office whitening procedures, including applying and curing gel and performing subsequent applications.
Apply cavity-preventive agents, including fluorides and pit and fissure sealants.
Recommend patient recall intervals and follow-up needs.
Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned and permitted under applicable Florida laws and regulations.