Dental Hygienist Lexington Park

Job Description

Job Description

JOB DESCRIPTION

Title: Dental Hygienist - Lexington ParkFLSA Category: Exempt

Reports To: Chief Medical Officer

Date Issued: December 2017, Revised November 2023

Job Summary:

This position provides dental hygiene and promotes dental health. Responsible for providing patient care as appropriate in the clinical setting under the supervision of a general dentist.

Essential Functions:

1. Screening of patients to include review health history, inspection of head and neck, evaluation for oral cancer, taking blood pressure and dental charting

2. Perform cleanings and address concerns related to patients teeth, gums, and related structures or tissues the mouth.

3. Work with dentist to refer patients who have abnormalities including cavities, defective fillings, suspicious growths

4. Placement of sealants and application of fluoride

5. Taking dental radiographs

6. Educating patients about appropriate oral hygiene strategies including nutrition, flossing, use of fluoride, and other aspects of dental care

7. Oversees maintenance of case histories, health examination reports, and other dental records.

8. Inspects and makes recommendations regarding sanitation and elimination of health hazards.

9. Refers patients to oral specialist or other practitioner for specialized treatment.

10. May conduct oral examinations to provide information needed for admission to school, consideration for jobs, or eligibility for insurance coverage.

11. Provides direct patient care as needed and appropriate to serve the community in accordance with the organization’s Health Care Plan.

12. Provides appropriate documentation of clinical care provided in a timely manner. This includes maintenance of patient charts in accordance with clinic protocols, and timely documentation of clinical procedures on encounter forms.

13. Complies with regulations regarding consultations and other services as required by patients’ insurance coverage.

14. Complies with Joint Commission standards for ambulatory care.

Nonessential Functions:

15. Performs timely entry into, and manipulation of, the Electronic Health Record.

16. Acts as a resource to other members of the health care team, patients, or other members of the community.

17. Assures quality of patient care by participating in the organization’s Performance Improvement activities.

18. Cooperates with compliance review activities.

19. Submits information needed for credentialing files in a timely manner.

20. When needed, assists the Safety Officer with employee health activities, especially in the event of an exposure to bloodborne pathogens.

21. Participates in team/staff meetings; attends in-service meetings and applicable workshops.

22. Performs any and all other duties required to provide for optimal patient care.

Core Values: Quality, Respect, Professionalism, Teamwork, Equity, Integrity, Commitment

Supervisory Responsibility - Students, interns, fellows and the like

Managerial Responsibilities- None

Minimum Qualifications

1. Associate’s degree (A.A.) from an accredited Dental Hygienist program and a minimum of six (6) months experience as a Hygienist.

2. Current licensure as a Dental Hygienist in the State of Maryland

3. Certified in Radiology through an accredited dental hygiene program

4. Current Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Certificate (CPR)

5. ACLS or Advanced Life Support within 12 months of employment, if appropriate

Substitutions - None

Core Competencies Needed

Problem Solving – Identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner; gathers and analyzes information skillfully, develops alternative solutions; works well in group problem solving situations; uses reason even when dealing with emotional topics.

Communication Skills - Listen and verbally in order to solve problems and provide information and direction, ensuring the experience is a positive one. Record issues and resolutions to maintain accurate records and data for further analysis by management.

Analytical Skills - The ability to tackle a problem by using a logical, systematic, sequential approach. Possess creative thinking, learning, systems thinking and problem solving. Must be effective at defining and solving problems in order to ensure that the real, underlying challenge is understood and that solutions actually address it.

Healthcare Systems- Knowledge of healthcare and medical terminology.

Organizational Skills - Effectively managing tasks and information and organize information to ensure a timely response to questions. Develops and uses systems to organize and keep track of information or work progress.

Results Orientation – The ability to focus on the desired results, setting challenging goals, focusing effort on the goals, and meeting or exceeding them.

Time Management - Understands what is required and prioritizes to get tasks/projects completed and establishes/implements an effective course of action (ex. establishes appropriate deadlines). Reprioritizes work efforts based on changing situations and emerging issues (e.g., in response to organizational, systems, and/or schedule changes).

Collaboration - Engages others by gathering multiple views and being open to diverse perspectives, focusing on a shared purpose that puts the organization overall success first.

Work Environment

This job operates in an outpatient office environment. This role is frequently exposed to fumes or airborne particles, and high stress situations or events.

Physical and Mental Demands

1. Ability to cope with stress.

2. The person in this position needs to occasionally move about inside the office

3. Constantly operates a computer and other office productivity machinery, such as a calculator, copy machine and computer printer.

4. The person in this position frequently communicates with patients and/or employees. Must be able to summarize and exchange accurate information.

5. Must be able to lift or catch patient weighing more than 50 pounds in the event of emergency.

6. Performs with frequent interruption or distractions.

7. Adjust priorities quickly as circumstances dictate.

8. Ability to interact appropriately with colleagues for different purposes in different context.

9. Ability to perceive the nature of sound.

10. Expressing or exchanging information by means of the spoken word, or to convey detailed spoken instructions accurately, loudly or quickly.

11. Ability to judge distances and spatial relationships to perceive objects where and as they actually are.

12. Cognitive ability to analyze, count, summarize and synthesize information from multiple sources.

13. Ability to recognize social or professional behavioral cues.

Language Skills

Ability to read and interpret written or verbal documents and instructions. Ability to speak effectively to patients, employees and/or stakeholders of the organization. Spanish is a Plus.

Compliance

This position requires compliance with Greater Baden Medical Services (Health Center’s) compliance standards, including its Standards of Conduct, Compliance Program, and policies and procedures. Such compliance will be an element considered as part of the Dental Hygienist’s regular performance evaluation.

Travel

Must be able to drive between Greater Baden Medical Services, Inc. locations.