Dental Assistant

Job Description

Dental Assistant

Summary

The Dental Assistant is responsible for participating in clinical dental health care assisting the dentist and hygienist at the chair. Under the direction of the Director of Dental, the Dental Assistant will escort patients to and from reception area, reassure a fearful patient with warmth, honesty, and confidence. The individual is also responsible for maintaining supplies, storage and sterilization of instruments.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Provides reasonable and prudent dental care for CS-HHC patients. Treats patients and staff respectfully, courteously and appropriately.
• Participates in clinical dental health care assisting the Dentist and Hygienist at the chair.
• Responsible for the general care of equipment and ensuring instruments are kept sharp and sterilized.
• Escorts patients to and from reception area.
• Helps patients feel comfortable before, during and after dental treatment.
• Provides patients with instructions for oral care following surgery or other dental treatment procedures, such as the placement of a restoration (filling).
• Teaches patients appropriate oral hygiene strategies to maintain oral health;
  (e.g., toothbrushing, flossing and nutritional counseling)
• Takes impressions of patients’ teeth for study casts (models of teeth).
• Helps to provide direct patient care in all dental specialties, including orthodontics, pediatric dentistry, periodontics and oral surgery.
• Maintains functional system of dental charts/lab slips and assures confidentiality of individual records.
• Calls patients within 48 hours of dental extractions and notifies dentist who performed extraction if any complications reported during phone call.
• Performs all other duties as required.

Qualifications

Education:      High School Diploma/GED required. Certificate from an accredited Dental Assisting Program required. Certificate in Dental Radiology also required.

Experience: Previous Dental Assisting experience preferred. New graduates can apply. Familiarity with GE Centricity/VisDental system is highly desirable.

Knowledge/Abilities:  Excellent technical and interpersonal skills required. Ability to work with people of diverse backgrounds and ability to communicate warmth and confidence to the patient’s population. Interest in preventive dentistry, social consciousness, sensitivity to needs of community residents and the desire to work with and for disadvantaged persons. Excellent computer skills are necessary. GE Centricity/VisDental and/or electronic dental knowledge are highly recommended.

Physical Demands/Working Conditions

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.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand; walk; sit; and use their hands. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

While performing duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to toxic or caustic chemicals.  The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Travel within the State of Connecticut is required on a regular basis with occasional travel outside the State.

Must be willing to provide evening, Saturday and satellite clinic coverage when necessary.

CSHHC is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.