Dental Assistant

Dental Assistant

We are North Idaho's premier provider of integrated medical, dental, and behavioral health services. Our amazing care teams deliver world-class healthcare utilizing a patient-directed, community-focused approach. Providing high quality, affordable healthcare from the heart is our passion. Our mission is to deliver a healthcare experience that provides hope, inspires change, and extends life for our patients and our community.

Job Description

• Assist the dentist or dental hygienist in the administration of treatment through four-handed practices at chair side.
• Maintain responsibility and obligation primarily to the dentist.
• Assure all instruments, charts, and radiographs are available in the operatory prior to the start of dental treatment.
• Apply knowledge of proper armamentarium for all procedures.
• Pass proper instruments at correct times for a variety of treatment procedures.
• Take blood pressure and vital signs. Review health history with patients.
• Provide post-operative oral care instructions to patients following surgery or other dental procedures.
• Provide oral hygiene instructions to maximize optimal oral health and encourage patients to achieve excellent home care.
• Assure proper asepsis techniques are followed.
• Follow infection control protocol, properly sterilize instruments and equipment following OSHA guidelines.
• Complete all weekly and monthly maintenance on operatory equipment.
• Perform all functions to which certified, including rubber dam placement and removal, retraction cord placement and removal, placing temporary restorations, placing and removing matrix band and wedge, pit and fissure sealants, coronal polish and fluoride application, suture removal, administration of nitrous oxide, and fabrication of temporary crowns.
• Regular and predictable attendance is an essential function of this position.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Certification from an accredited dental assisting program.
• Desire to work in public health care.
• Experience with Dentrix and Dexis preferred; however, training is provided.
• CPR certification is necessary and must be obtained within 90 days of hire.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Required

• Familiarity with standard concepts, practices, and procedures within a dental environment.
• Excellent listening and social skills are essential.
• Ability to work independently and within a group, contributing to the efforts of the entire team.
• Ability to receive detailed information through oral communications; express or exchange ideas by verbal communications.
• Ability to work with frequent interruptions and respond appropriately to unexpected situations.
• Ability to interact effectively with people of varied educational, socioeconomic, and ethnic backgrounds, skill levels, and value systems.

Physical/Mental Requirements

• Required to stand, sit, and be mobile one-third to two-thirds of the time.
• Use hands to finger, handle or feel over two-thirds of the time; reaching with hands and arms occurs one-third of the day.
• Climbing or balancing, stooping, kneeling or crouching occur less than one-third of the time.
• Communicating by talking/hearing occurs over two-thirds of the day.
• Ability to lift or exert force about 50% for up to 10 pounds and less than one-third of the time up to 25 - 40 pounds. Rarely is there a need to lift more than 41 pounds.

Working Conditions

Work is normally performed in a typical interior/office work environment in a clinic. Work may be demanding at times. Exposed to patient population that may present a variety of contagious diseases, physical injuries, and emotional states of mind.