Dental Assistant 1

Hawaii Island Community Health Center

POSITION DESCRIPTION

JOB TITLE: Dental Assistant

FLSA STATUS: Non-Exempt

DEPARTMENT: Dental

SUPERVISED BY: Dental Assistant Supervisor

POSITION FUNCTION SUMMARY:

Under the direction of the Dental Assistant Supervisor, the Dental Assistant’s duties are in support of the mission, goals and objectives of HICHC. He/she is responsible for performing duties which assist the Dentist and Dental Hygienist in the care and treatment of patients.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

This position may have various work assignments within HICHC. This description is intended to be generic in nature, and as such it 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 be limited to the following:

Aids the dentist or dental hygienist in the administration of treatment through fourhanded 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 sufficient to meet the needs of the procedure but not so much as to allow wasting of materials.
• Anticipates the sequence of dental procedures and is prepared in advance of them 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 (healthy gums, clean teeth) as an example to our patients and parents.
• Questions each patient/parent 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 problems detected in 2b.
• Completes questionnaire on caries risk assessment w/ parents and promotes self-management.
• goals to document 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 the health history, makes chart entries under the direction of the provider, and fills consent forms.

• The date of the health history review and any changes are entered on the treatment page and initialed 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 personal skill levels.
• Exposes X ray films suitable for diagnostic purposes.
• Develops film so as to assure their use in diagnosis.
• Pours and trims models and performs other lab duties.
• Schedules patients and performs routine reception duties
• Accurately records information in patient records
• Implement the processing of encounters, insurance, billing and bookkeeping procedures
• 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.

Follows directions and responsibilities associated with the dental assistants' rotating assignments as delegated by the Program Manager.

• Performs assigned housekeeping' and maintains duty on required date and initials assignment sheet.
• Organizes and cleans lab and staff room on assigned date.
• Performs duties requested by practitioner

Acquaints the patient with the aspects of his/her dental visit and provides support and compassion to the patient when it is needed.

Works at the front desk providing back up support for the office receptionist when needed: answers phones and schedules patient 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:

• Graduation from high school
• Previous dental assistant experience desired, but not required
• Must have a desire to work with infants, children, adolescents and their families

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Ability and willingness to learn
• 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. Theses services will be culturally sensitive and will promote community well-being through the practice of “malama pono”, the values of our organization.

• An ability to establish and maintain effective communication with patients and coworkers
• A desire to expand abilities
• Ability to follow oral and written instructions
• Ability to motivate patients
• 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 culturally diverse groups of people including staff, 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 may be required to communicate in another language

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, high integrity, communication and 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 the families, and/or sensitive company financial data, an essential job result is the maintenance of a high level of confidentiality of the information 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 HICHC.