Lead Dental Assistant

Veterans Health Administration•Stockton, CA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Lead Dental Assistant works with the clinic supervisor or Chief, Dental Service to support clinical workflow, assignments, staffing, performance input, training, and efficient patient care. The role provides guidance to dental assistants across multiple practice areas, serves as a liaison between staff and management, and supports dental-program development, outcome management, and strategic planning. The Lead Dental Assistant supports the daily delivery of department programs, including Environment of Care, infection control, reusable medical equipment, community care, consult management, specialty referrals, pharmacy communication, digital dentistry, clinic utilization, and inventory management. The position coordinates patient care plans and community referrals, provides staffing and huddle updates, and helps maintain effective communication between the VA dental clinic and community providers. The role also provides direct chairside and patient-care support, dental laboratory and imaging functions, infection-control and equipment-sterilization duties, and administrative support. The position follows applicable safety and clinical protocols, maintains dental records and equipment, and helps ensure staff complete required education and safety training.

Requirements

U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited under VA policy.
At least six months of experience demonstrating ability to perform the work or familiarity with it; alternatively, successful completion of a one-year dental assistant program accredited by CODA, or an equivalent combination of experience and education.
Meet radiologic-procedure credentialing requirements through one of the specified dental radiation health and safety examinations, courses, or approved programs.
DANB certification is required for positions above the full performance level.
At least one year of experience at the next lower grade level demonstrating the core competencies for that level.
Demonstrate advanced knowledge of dental assisting across multiple practice areas and ability to guide staff dental assistants.
Demonstrate skill in coordinating clinical workflow and assignments.
Demonstrate ability to assist with dental-program development, outcome management, and strategic planning.
Demonstrate skill in acting as liaison between staff dental assistants and the supervisor.
Demonstrate ability to provide professional oversight and consultation for staff dental assistants.
Proficiency in spoken and written English.
Pass a pre-employment physical examination and any required background or security investigation; selected applicants must complete onboarding and drug screening if applicable to a testing-designated position.
Meet physical demands including lifting and carrying 15 pounds or less; reaching above the shoulder; using both hands, fingers, and legs; walking, standing, kneeling, and bending for up to eight hours a day; rapid and simultaneous mental and muscular response; seeing with both eyes, with or without correctable vision; distinguishing color shades; and hearing with or without a hearing aid.
Comply with the seasonal influenza vaccination program and Selective Service registration requirement where applicable.
A transcript is required if education is used to meet all or part of the qualifications; foreign education requires a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency.

Nice To Haves

Certification in basic life support methods is highly desirable.
Certification by the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB).
One year of chairside experience preferred.

Responsibilities

Provide input on clinical workflow and assignments, and guide dental assistants using advanced knowledge across multiple areas of practice.
Contribute to dental-program development, outcome management, and strategic planning.
Act as a liaison between dental-assisting staff and the supervisor, and support effective coordination between staff and management.
Guide assistants in obtaining diagnostic-quality radiographs and instruct staff in maintaining dental-service equipment.
Inspect rooms and provide feedback on compliance with infection-control guidelines.
Support daily delivery of department programs, including Environment of Care, Infection Control, Reusable Medical Equipment, Community Care, Consult Management, Specialty Referral coordination, Pharmacy Communication, Digital Dentistry, Clinic Utilization, and Inventory Management.
Provide daily staffing reports and update the morning huddle board and electronic huddle sheet.
Coordinate patient care plans and community-care referrals to reduce redundancy and delays, and liaise with community providers to support patient experience.
Follow patient-identification, medication-reconciliation, time-out, consent, infection-control, and reusable-medical-equipment procedures.
Communicate with patients about treatment timelines and appointment scheduling or rescheduling.
Document findings and treatment plans in Dental Record Manager and complete electronic return-to-clinic orders in the Computerized Patient Record System.
Capture and save intraoral and extraoral digital images and ensure imaging is diagnostic quality, correctly oriented, exposed, labeled, and completed with safety techniques.
Observe patients during treatment for signs of fainting, shock, or distress; obtain and record vital signs in the electronic medical record.
Prepare the operatory and anticipate the dentist's needs; assist with four-handed dentistry, maintain a clear operative field, and perform intra-operative procedures under infection-control protocols.
Take impressions for diagnostic casts and preliminary impressions for custom trays, and provide post-operative and preventive oral-health education.
Work with Prosthetics to order, store, and track dental implant parts and biologics.
Perform routine maintenance of equipment and assist with digital design and milling of 3D-printed restorations and dental appliances.
Pour and trim dental stone models, fabricate bite rims and custom impression trays, make vacuum-formed splints, soft mouth guards, retainers, and fluoride trays, and use a firing oven to complete milled restorations.
Set up reusable medical equipment and prepare instruments for sterilization according to Sterile Processing Service standards; set up and clean the operatory and disinfect oral appliances.
Perform administrative tasks, including printing reports, addressing pending issues, scheduling appointments, and updating patient demographic information.
Ensure employee education requirements and safety training are completed.
Work with the supervisor or Chief, Dental Service to monitor and make work assignments, provide performance input, resolve daily workplace issues, maintain patient-care flow, and provide training to staff assistants, students, or trainees.