Dental Assistant 1

WEST HAWAII COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER

POSITION DESCRIPTION

JOB TITLE: Dental Assistant

FLSA STATUS: Non Exempt

DEPARTMENT: Dental

SUPERVISED BY: Lead Dental Assistant and Director - Dental Clinical Operations

POSITION FUNCTION SUMMARY:

The Dental Assistant performs those duties which assist the dentist and dental hygienist in the care and treatment of patients and duties to support reception, inventory and maintaining dental records.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

This position may have various work assignments within WHCHC. This description is intended to be generic in nature and does not detail all duties and responsibilities of the particular job assignment. Various duties, responsibilities and accountabilities may be assigned to an incumbent in this position depending on the specific job assignment, and may include but not limited to the following:

• The dental assistant provides technical assistance to providers during clinical care. The dental assistant performs such duties as preparing the patient for dental treatment, assisting the dentist at the chair in preventive, restorative dentistry and/or oral surgery, preparing materials and setting up the correct equipment for the dentist's use. The dental assistant sterilizes instruments, performs dental X-rays, and assists the dentist in laboratory work. He/she also establishes a friendly, warm atmosphere for the patients and parents, keeping them calm and at ease as much as possible.

Required Duties

• Aids the dentist or dental hygienist in the administration of treatment through four-handed practices at chairside:

• Maintains responsibility and obligation, primarily to the dental providers.
• Assures that all instruments, electronic charting, and radiographs are available in the operatory prior to the arrival of the patient.
• Provides proper instruments, at the correct time, in proper sequence for any given treatment procedure.
• Prepares dental materials correctly, as needed, and in an amount appropriate to meet the needs of the procedure but as not to allow wasting of materials.
• Anticipates the sequence of dental procedures and is prepared in advance so that the dentist may work as efficiently as possible.
• Maintains a clean oral working area.

• Promotes an atmosphere supportive of good dental and general health for WHCHC’s patients

• Demonstrates good personal oral hygiene as an example to our patients and parents.
• Interviews each patient/parent/guardian to ascertain home care status, either during breaks in the treatment or prior to the dentist's arrival.
• Instructs patients in techniques of flossing, brushing, and disclosing to help remedy any concerns detected in home care.
• Completes questionnaire on caries risk assessment w/ parents/guardian and promotes self-management.
• Documents goals for the next visit.

• Maintains a sterile and neat working environment

• All chairside clean-up/set up procedures are completed before any patient is seated.
• Any portions of the dental chair exposed to saliva or the oral cavity are disinfected before any patient is seated.
• Cleans and sterilizes instruments.
• Performs routine cleaning and maintenance on sterilization area and work areas.
• Hand washing will take place immediately prior to seating every patient.

• Reviews patient health history, inputs chart entries under the direction of the provider, and completes consent forms

• The date of the health history review and any changes are entered on the treatment page and initialed/verified by the assistant.
• All exam findings and treatments rendered are recorded completely and accurately in the patient's chart.
• Clinical information entered in the electronic health record is completed by the dental assistant.
• Patients are dismissed with necessary records complete.

• Assumes the responsibilities associated with any expanded duties that may be delegated by the dentist

• Accepts delegation of only those duties within their personal skill levels.
• Exposes X-ray films suitable for diagnostic purposes.
• Pours and trims models and performs other lab duties.
• Schedules patients and performs routine reception duties.
• Accurately records information in patient records.
• Helps to identify related medical and/or social problems.
• Orders supplies and materials.
• Maintains inventory of supplies and materials as well as maintaining thorough and accurate documentation of inventory.

• Acquaints the patient with the aspects of his/her dental visit and provides support and compassion to the patient when it is needed.
• Assists front desk operations, providing back-up office administrative support when needed (e.g. answers phones, schedules appointments).

POSITION SPECIFICATIONS:

Requirements of Position

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education and Experience

1. Graduation from high school preferred, but not required

2. Previous dental assistant experience desired, but not required

3. Must have a desire to work with infants, children, adolescents and their families

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Ability and willingness to learn.
• Ability and desire to uphold the mission of the West Hawaii Community Health Center:

• To make quality, comprehensive, and integrated health services accessible to all regardless of income. These services will be culturally sensitive and will promote community well-being through the practice of “malama pono.”

• Ability to establish and maintain effective communication with patients and coworkers.
• A desire to expand abilities.
• Ability to follow verbal and written instructions.
• Ability to prepare and maintain charts, records, logs and reports.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective and positive working relationships with patients and staff.

Language Skills

• Ability to communicate with diverse groups of people to include staff and providers and patients.
• Ability to communicate effectively with patients and their families to make their visit a pleasant experience.
• Sensitivity to the multicultural nature of the service area population and provide language translation services to patients as needed.

Personal Characteristics

Following a training and orientation period, performs the essential functions and elements of this position, not to exceed six (6) months. Incumbent must be able to maintain complete confidentiality of all dental records, patient interviews and office memoranda. Personal characteristics to include: a team player, professional, personal and professional integrity, excellent communication, excellent customer relations skills, regular work attendance, courteous and friendly, able to work well with diverse groups of people, and gain and maintain respect of others, both inside and outside WHCHC.

Confidential and Sensitive Information:

Because the employee has access to personal and professional data regarding individual employees and their families, personal data regarding individual patients and their families, and/or sensitive company financial data, an essential job requirement is to maintain a high level of confidentiality of all information reviewed and processed by the employee. Violation of this confidence may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.

The foregoing position description is not all-inclusive of the duties that may be assigned to the employee. To ensure maximum flexibility and efficiency and to encourage cross training, employees will be assigned additional duties as deemed necessary or desirable by WHCHC.