Senior Dental Assistant

Starting Wage Range: $27.05/hr. - $34.95/hr.

Job Summary:

Assists the dental professionals with the daily operation of the Tribal dental clinic in accordance with the Tribe's holistic health and wellness objectives for patients and families. This position focuses on prosthodontic support, including taking impressions, pouring up models, fabricating custom trays/wax rims, and assisting with denture fitting and cleaning. Ensure patient comfort, manage infection control, and provide education on denture care, streamlining the process for fabricating removable appliances. Ensures that the provision of health care services takes place in a professional, non-bias environment and is accomplished efficiently.

Essential Functions:

• Assists Dental Provider at chair side utilizing basic assistant techniques for four-handed sit-down dentistry.
• Works with indirect supervision in placing temporary soft denture relines. (Preparers and takes preliminary impressions for study models.

• Fabricates custom impression trays, wax rims, and base plates.
• Assists with bite registration, tooth selection, wax try-ins, and final denture delivery.
• Cleans and polishes removable appliances, including dentures, partials, and retainers.
• Provides instructions on home care and proper hygiene for dentures.

• Sterilizes instruments, tools, and equipment used in the lab and operatory.

• Fabricates and adjusts dental appliances.
• Updates patient charts, taking photographs, and scheduling appointments.
• Prepares treatment rooms for procedures, including adjusting equipment.

• Pours and trims plaster or stone models.
• Assists with the adjustment of full and partial dentures.
• Restocks supplies and manages inventory for the laboratory.

• Maintains aseptic condition during surgical procedure, stabilizing tissue, cutting sutures and checking for signs of patient distress such as fainting or shock.
• Assists Dental providers by operating electronic dental x-ray equipment to take intra and extra oral radiographs.
• Accurately maintains patient charts and records.
• Completes pre-authorizations, as required by Contract Health Services.
• Assists clinic professionals with various wellness and community education activities.
• Is authorized to serve both eligible and non-eligible beneficiaries in an outreach capacity both on and off site.
• May involve transporting native and/or non-native patients of the GRHWC in company vehicle.
• Performs a variety of other duties as assigned by supervisor.

Education, Experience, and Licenses:

• Requires a high school diploma or GED.
• Requires a minimum of three (3) years of work experience in a dental assistant position.
• OR equivalent combination of education, training and experience.

Driving Requirements:

• Employees may be required to drive for work-related purposes and must maintain a valid Oregon Driver's License (ODL), meet company vehicle insurance requirements, and provide proof of personal vehicle insurance.

Qualifications, Registrations, and Certifications:

• Requires a Certified Dental Assistant Certificate.
• Requires knowledge of disease prevention and basic dental techniques.
• Requires First Aid and CPR Certificate.
• Requires a Radiology Certificate.
• Requires Expanded Function Dental Assistant Certificate..
• Requires Denture Reline Certificate.
• Requires knowledge of various dental sterilization equipment, electronic records, panoramic x-ray machine, various other dental equipment and dental lab equipment.
• Knowledge of and sensitivity to Native American culture required.

Environmental Factors and Conditions/Physical Requirements:

• Continually requires the ability to express or receive detailed information or important instructions through oral communication.
• Continually requires working with fingers rather than the whole hand or arm. Requires repetitive movement of wrists, hands and/or fingers. Often requires walking or moving about to accomplish tasks.
• Continually requires twisting body and reaching.
• Continually requires gripping with hands and fingers and finger dexterity.
• Often requires color identification, close vision, and depth perception.
• Requires standing and/or sitting for sustained periods of time, raising objects from a lower to a higher position and/or moving objects horizontally.
• Frequently exposed to detergents, acids-caustics, and solvents. Frequently wears safety glasses, gloves, mask and lab coat.
• Occasionally requires lifting of up to 40 pounds.
• This position is frequently subject to inside environmental conditions which provide protection from weather conditions, but not necessarily from temperature changes, and is occasionally subject to outside environmental conditions.
• Supports a safe work environment by performing all duties in accordance with Tribal safety policies and procedures, and Emergency Management Plan.
• Due to the nature of the interactions with other employees and the public we serve, employees may be required to provide documentation of, or receive, certain health vaccinations.
• May be called upon to serve as a Disaster Reservist during emergencies.
• Local travel is occasionally required. Travel outside of the state is infrequently required.

Background Check:

Candidates for this position will be subject to criminal and character background checks and may be subject to fingerprinting.

Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.