Practice Assistant- IL- Dental Institute

Midwestern University•Downers Grove, IL

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Practice Assistant in the College of Dental Medicine – Illinois (CDMI) assists the dentist and student dentist with examining and treating patients. The Practice Assistant in the Dental Institute is responsible for the day-to-day maintenance of the CDMI’s clinics, including coordinating materials, equipment, and supplies; answering patient phone calls; scheduling patient appointments; and retrieving and relaying patient phone messages to students and faculty. Incumbents in this position work in multiple areas within the CDMI’s clinics on a rotational and/or specific assignment-based system. The Practice Assistant in the Dental Institute reports directly to the Practice Assistant Supervisor and must be able to adapt to work schedule changes based on the hours of the clinic.

Requirements

Ability to work in a constant state of alertness and in a safe manner
Regular, predictable, in-person attendance
Ability to develop a positive rapport effectively.
Ability to maintain a professional demeanor, be detail-oriented, and promote a welcoming atmosphere is essential.
Ability to become familiar with Dental Software Management Systems.
Working knowledge of how to take radiographic series and be able to demonstrate radiographic techniques to students as needed.
High school diploma or GED required.
3-5 years of dental clinical practice experience required.
Must have working knowledge of digital radiography
Must be able to constantly take radiographs that meet acceptable standards for diagnostics and patient exposure.
Familiarity with OSHA guidelines.
Experience working in a team and customer service-oriented environment.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Computer proficiency in MS Office (Word, Excel, Outlook).
Ability to become familiar with the Clinic Management System.
Intermediate skills: Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals.
Ability to write routine reports and correspondence.
Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees of the organization.

Nice To Haves

Associate’s or technical certification preferred.
Radiology certification preferred.
Must possess or be willing to attain within 120 days a BLS certificate or CPR certification if requested.
Registered Dental Assistant is preferred.
Bilingual/fluency in Spanish and English preferred

Responsibilities

Model and ensure professional and collegial behavior
Maintain a positive working environment
Provide an environment of high-quality, open, and respectful communications
Participate in the cycle of equipment, instruments, and supplies
Deliver instrument carts to student dentists within the various suites
Check out the equipment, instruments, and supplies for the student dental provider
Check the used instruments and equipment back in
Deliver instrument carts with used supplies back to the sterilization room and return used instruments.
Schedule and confirm appointments with the goal of optimizing clinic utilization.
Keep treatment records.
Report malfunctioning equipment to appropriate personnel.
Identify and report general maintenance problems.
Assure presence of necessary materials.
Request and maintain the materials and supplies necessary for day-to-day operation
Assure adherence to all clinic policies, including infection control guidelines
Participate in instrument, equipment, and supply coordination.
Receive, greet, and prepare patients for treatment
Acquire digital radiographs, intra-oral, extra-oral, and Cone beam computed tomography
Assist dental students with the acquisition of the above dental radiographs
Oversee and demonstrate the correct radiographic technique to dental students and Practice Assistants in the Dental Institute
Assist dental students in planning and ordering a lab-fabricated surgical guide
Maintain sterilization and disinfection of radiology instruments and equipment
Import outside radiographs into the patient's electronic chart
Assist with dental operatory equipment infection control
Assist dental students and outside candidates with acquiring radiographs for dental board exams
Assist with training employees
Record-keeping of radiation dosimetry
Facilitate the daily working of the radiology clinic and assist the radiology faculty
Work with student dentists, staff, and faculty to assure adherence to all clinic policies and regulatory requirements such as infection control guidelines, OSHA standards, and HIPAA privacy and security protocols.
Provide information on violations of clinic policies to the management
Responsible for the dispensing, collecting, and processing of dental instruments, equipment, and consumable supplies utilized in the College of Dental Medicine - Illinois clinics for the treatment of patients, both real and simulated, as well as for the education of student doctors.
Prepare and process instruments, supplies, and equipment.
Clean, disinfect, sterilize, package, and restock instruments, supplies, and equipment.
Utilize aseptic techniques when handling instruments, equipment, and supplies.
Track, inventory, and dispense dental instruments, supplies, and equipment.
Package and sterilize disposable supplies such as gauze, cotton rolls, and cotton pellets.
Assist with data entry, ordering, and sorting clinical supplies.
Assists with maintaining the organization, cleanliness, and general appearance of the sterilizing and dispensing rooms and their related storage facilities.
Maintain the stock of supplies needed to properly run the sterilizing and dispensing rooms, such as autoclave bags, tape, towels, patients’ drapes, caps, etc.
Assist in the training of new employees
Educate staff, faculty, and students about sterilization and infection control issues
Provide chair-side dental assistance when required.
Transfer dental instruments
Adjust the equipment to the proper position
Manipulate and transfer dental materials
Retract soft tissue
Evacuate the oral cavity of debris to maintain a clear field of operation
Make diagnostic-quality radiographic images
Set up and maintain dental cubicles
Follow up on proper infection control guidelines
Demonstrate four-handed dentistry
Place rubber dams on teeth to isolate them for individual treatment
Prepare materials for making impressions and restorations and make casts of teeth and mouth from impressions
Make temporary crowns
Assist with shelf organization for the dispensary
Assist in the Sterilization Department, as needed
Dispense items to students and clinical instructors as needed.
Assist with organization for dispensary and suites
Participate in Dental Clinic meetings.
Assist in hygiene and emergencies when needed
Must be adaptable to shift changes.
Other duties may be assigned.

Benefits

medical, dental, and vision insurance plans
life insurance
short/long-term disability
pet insurance
flexible spending accounts, including healthcare reimbursement and a child/dependent care account.
competitive time off package including paid holidays, sick/flex days, personal days, and vacation days.
403(b) retirement plan
tuition reimbursement
a child care subsidy reimbursement program
identity theft protection
an employee assistance program.
a wellness facility on-site with a fully equipped fitness facility.