Job Title: Dental Hygienist

Reports to: Dental Director

FSLA Status: Non-Exempt

Salary: 37.00 per hour

Schedule: 40 hours per week

Job Description:

The Dental Hygienist at the direction of the Dental Director will examine patients for signs of oral diseases, such as gingivitis, and provides preventive care during the dental visit. They also educate patients about dental hygiene to help patients maintain good oral health.

Duties/Responsibilities

• Promotes dental health by completing dental prophylaxis, providing oral cancer screening and radiographic studies, charting conditions of decay and disease, and performing procedures in compliance with the Dental Practice Act.
• Prepares treatment room for patient by adhering to prescribed procedures and protocols.
• Prepares patient for dental hygiene treatment by welcoming, soothing, seating, and draping patient.
• Provides information to patients and employees by answering questions and requests.
• Maintains instrumentation for dental hygiene treatment by sharpening, sterilizing, and selecting instruments.
• Selects materials and equipment for dental hygiene visit by evaluating patient’s oral health.
• Completes dental prophylaxis by cleaning deposits and stains from teeth and from beneath gum margins.
• Detects disease by completing oral cancer screening; feeling and visually examining gums, using probes to locate periodontal disease and to assess levels of recession and exposing and developing radiographic studies.
• Arrests dental decay by applying fluorides and other cavity-preventing agents.
• Maintains patient appearance and ability to masticate by fabricating temporary restorations, cleaning, and polishing removable appliances.
• Places, carves, and finishes amalgam restorations.
• Removes cement from crowns and bridges.
• Helps dentist manage dental and medical emergencies by maintaining CPR certification, emergency drugs and oxygen supply, and directory of emergency numbers.
• Educates patients by giving oral hygiene and plaque control instructions and postoperative instructions and providing reminders of time of next dental hygiene visit.
• Documents dental hygiene services by recording dental histories and charting in patient records.
• Maintains patient confidence and protects operations by keeping information confidential.
• Maintains safe and clean working environment by complying with procedures, rules, and regulations.
• Protects patients and employees by adhering to infection-control policies and protocols.
• Conserves dental resources by using equipment and supplies as needed to accomplish job results.

Required Skills & Abilities:

• Effective written and verbal communication skills
• Exhibits hand-eye coordination and manual dexterity when working with patients and/or equipment.
• Ability to recognize emergent situations and act appropriately.
• Demonstrated sensitivity, tolerance and respect for diversity issues/concerns and for others by treating all customers and co-workers with dignity.
• Ability to use tact and diplomacy in all communication.
• Demonstrated adaptability and sense of priorities.
• Knowledge of dental procedures, dental terminology, dental equipment, and supplies
• Professional chair side manner
• Ability to create a safe environment.
• Knowledge of medication administration
• Excellent customer service skills

Education, Experience, and Licensing Requirements:

• Certificate of Diploma from accredited Dental Hygienist program
• BLS certification (or obtained within 90 days of employment)
• State-registered Dental Hygienist
• 3 years in a dental office
• Experience with EMR (electronic medical records)
• Knowledge of dental terminology
• Bilingual in English and Spanish preferred.

Supervisory Responsibilities

This position does not have a supervisory role, although when required, every effort should be made by the Dental Hygienist to maintain the leadership style of executive leadership.

Cultural Behaviors

• Exhibit strong interpersonal communication skills with clients and staff, including respect and honesty.
• Use critical thinking when approaching sensitive situations.
• Assist in facilitating a culture of teamwork within the department and across areas of involvement through collaboration and professional relationship building.
• Embrace company and employee growth through adaptability and optimism.
• Take the initiative to approach your supervisor for complex problem-solving scenarios within your scope of responsibility.
• Must exhibit a strong work ethic through dependability, honesty, integrity, and accountability.
• Strong interpersonal skills are needed to ensure a culture of openness and honesty while fostering a culture of inclusion.
• Manage time appropriately within the role and responsibilities.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed 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.

Language Skills

Verbal and written communication skills must be professional and of the highest caliber. Perfection in both forms of communication is essential. Bilingual preferred but not required.

Mathematical Skills

To adequately perform the functions of this position, an individual must possess a basic knowledge of accounting practices and have a basic understanding of mathematics to perform simple financial duties. Proficiency in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, as well as the use of a ten-key calculator, are expected.

Reasoning Ability

Dental Hygienist must have the ability to analyze situations, examine options and consequences, and be held accountable for this decision-making process which is critical to the overall operation.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Normal range of motion to fulfill job duties as described above.
• Some occasional lifting, up to twenty (20) pounds.
• Sitting and working on computer for up to two (2) hours at a time.
• Climbing stairs occasionally throughout the day.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Controlled temperatures within a three-story building.
• No smoking within the building.
• Kitchen with break-room available on all floors.
• Bathrooms provided on all floors.
• Parking provided at the back of building across the street and walking/ambulating outdoors in elements necessary.

Title VI Policy Statement

Cempa Community Care, under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and related statutes, ensures that no person on the grounds of race, color, age, disability, or national origin, shall be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any program or activity. Cempa Community Care further assures that every effort will be made to ensure nondiscrimination in all its programs and activities, whether those programs and activities are federally funded or not.

Employee Signature: ____________________________ Date: _____________

Supervisor Signature: ___________________________ Date: ______________

Posted qualifications serve as a guide for candidate review and are not all inclusive. Cempa Community Care reserves the right to deviate from posted credentials in determining what combination of candidate education, experience and skills are best suited to a position.

Cempa Community Care is an equal provider of services and an equal opportunity employer—Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.