Job Description
Job DescriptionDescription:
I. Position Function Summary
Under the direction of the Dental Assistant Supervisor, the Dental Assistant I provides clinical support to the dentist and dental hygienist with usual and customary dental procedures and patient education, assuring patient safety and comfort.
II. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
- Receives patients and prepares them for dental procedures, both physically and emotionally; interviews and conducts preliminary assessment and triage of patients to determine reasons for visit, obtains dental health history and checks appropriate vitals, records data on clients EMR chart;
- Assists dentists in usual and customary procedures, including four (4) handed dentistry; providing dentists with all instruments and general materials used for procedures;
- Exposes, processes, and mounts X-rays both digitally and manually;
- Under the direction of a dentist, takes and makes dental impressions;
- Prepares cases for lab including filling out lab slip and coordination with lab for pick up/delivery;
- Prepares instruments for sterilization and storage in trays; cleans and prepares equipment and examination rooms for patients and cleans rooms after each encounter and as needed; sterilizes, cleans, wraps, labels and autoclaves instruments, consistent with protocols;
- Maintains re-stocking supplies for each exam room and treatment rooms;
- Assists La Familia Medical Center (LFMC) patient education efforts, making available and distributing patient information and literature related to dental health promotion/disease prevention for all patient age categories;
- Maintains patient files in a timely and accurate manner by updating information pertaining to medication refills, laboratory reports/results, patient dental visits, and other patient data/information required by LFMC providers and protocols;
- Assists with conducting patient case management tasks and patient discharge plans to include patient referrals, prescription refills, and schedules specialty appointments; submits paperwork to the Patient Services Representative or other appropriate staff person;
- Trains and/or oversees student dental assistants.
Requirements:
IV. Education, Experience, and Skills
- High School graduate or GED certificate and graduation from an ADA recognized certificate program is required with appropriate degree and/or certification such as Dental Assistant program. Three months related experience is required; or any equivalent combination of experience, training and/or education approved by Human Resources.
- State of New Mexico certification in Dental Assistant radiology (6 months to obtain once employed); Including, but not limited to, coronal polishing, fluoride treatment and sealant certifications, or other Dental Assistant certifications are preferred. (may possess up to four (4)).
- CPR is required
- Working knowledge of four (4) handed dentistry and instrument preparation, sterilization and storage techniques;
- Ability to read and interpret medical documents and records, write at a moderate level of competence, communicate effectively.
Leave Benefits
-Three (3) weeks of annual leave.
-up to two (2) weeks of annual sick leave
-eight (3) paid holidays
-two (2) paid personal days
accruals and holidays are prorated for part-time employees
Insurance Benefits
-Medical
-Dental
-Vision
coverage available for staff and eligible family members, including domestic partners
-paid term life insurance (flat $25,000)
-paid short term disability
-optional life
-critical care
-medical and dependent care expense accounts
-health savings account
403(b) retirement savings plan (eligible for company match after 12 months of employment)
Signing bonus: $1,000
Bargaining Unit Position
Union:
Non-Union: X
La Familia offers opportunities for employment in the fields of medicine, nursing, dentistry, health education, and other support services. We are an equal opportunity employer.