Registered Dental Assistant or Dental Assistant

Family HealthCare Network • Porterville, CA

2h • Onsite

About The Position

The Dental Assistant is responsible for preparing the patient for dental treatment and assisting the dentist with various clinical dental procedures. This role involves supporting and monitoring patient flow in the back office, performing initial aspects of patient visits such as greeting, obtaining vital signs, and updating health records, and operating dental radiographic equipment. The assistant also performs supportive dental procedures under general supervision, including instrument sterilization, assisting during treatments like restorative, prosthodontics, and oral surgery, and providing post-treatment care instructions and oral health education. Additionally, the position includes taking impressions, applying topical agents, removing dressings, and maintaining dental operatories and equipment.

Requirements

• Possesses work-related skills at a higher level than completion of high school, including formal written and verbal communications skills, computational and computer skills, mathematical, technical or health care related knowledge frequently acquired through completion of a trade school, para-professional, or certificate type program.
• Must have proof of completing a Radiation Safety Course.
• Ability to prepare more complex documents in Microsoft Word, including creating tables, charts, graphs and other elements.
• Ability to use Microsoft Excel to review and compile data, including the use of formulas, functions, lookup tables and other standard spreadsheet elements.
• Ability to create basic presentations in Microsoft PowerPoint.
• Requires a Dental Assistant certification.
• Valid CA driver’s license.
• Job duties require the compilation of information prepared in effective written form, including correspondence, reports, articles or other documentation.
• Effectively conveys technical information to non-technical audiences.

Responsibilities

• Supporting and monitoring patient flow in the back office.
• Scrubbing appointments in advance to ensure proper lab cases, finances, and information is available for the patient visit.
• Assisting in the distribution of patients among dental providers, including walk-ins.
• Keeping patients informed of wait times and ensuring patients are properly flowed in the system.
• Understanding general front office workflows and being able to step in to support the front office when needed, and schedule patient appointments.
• Performing various initial aspects of the patient visit.
• Greeting patients in the reception area and escorting the patient to the dental operatory.
• Obtaining vital signs and patient data.
• Reviewing health record with the patient and updating clinical information such as current medications, allergies, medical and surgical histories.
• Performing documentation in the patient’s electronic health record according to policy and training.
• Assuring completion of consent forms and signatures.
• Operating dental radiographic equipment for the purpose of oral radiography.
• Disinfecting/preparing the operatory, and setting up trays and dental armamentarium for treatment.
• Performing supportive dental procedures under general supervision of a dentist.
• Sterilizing instruments under infection control protocol.
• Assisting the dentist during a variety of dental treatment procedures: charting, restorative, prosthodontics, endodontics, oral surgery, periodontics and pedodontics.
• Assuring patients feel comfortable before, during and after dental treatment.
• Providing patients with instructions for oral care following surgery or other dental treatment procedures.
• Providing oral health education and oral hygiene instruction as needed.
• Explaining as necessary dental treatment or procedures to the patient when questions are asked.
• Performing various aspects of patient visit.
• Taking impressions for diagnostic and opposing models, bleaching trays, temporary crowns and bridges, and sports guards with proper pour-ups.
• Applying non-aerosol and non-caustic topical agents.
• Removing post-extraction and periodontal dressings.
• Applying topical fluoride, after scaling and polishing by the dentist/RDA.
• Placing and removing rubber dams.
• Placing wedge and removing matrices.
• Performing other duties as assigned or required for quality of care.
• Communicating with patients and suppliers (i.e., scheduling appointments, ordering supplies, coordinating equipment repairs, etc.)
• Preparing and stocking dental operatories and monitoring adequate supplies in stock.
• Discarding of Biohazard waste and sharps.
• Accountable for weekly testing and weekly/monthly cleaning of sterilization equipment.
• Responsible for daily and weekly cleaning of water lines in the dental operatory units.
• Maintaining accurate and timely logs.
• Assisting in other operatories or in front office if time allows or need is determined by the supervisor.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed
• Number of Employees: 251-500 employees