Specialty Dental Assistant

Job Description

Job Description

Job Title:          Specialty Dental Assistant 

Position Summary

The Specialty Assistant performs a variety of dental assisting duties while promoting a safe and clean environment for providing quality dental care.  These duties include, but are not limited to, assisting the doctor; communicating effectively with patients (or parents if patient is a child); maintaining equipment and inventory; cleaning, sterilizing, and packaging instruments; and following standard universal precautions, OSHA and HIPAA requirements, and dental board auxiliaries’ regulations. Specialty Assistant will travel with Specialty Team to multiple locations within the Company.

Essential duties/Responsibilities  

• Prepare trays and operatories for various procedures
• Prepare patients for treatment and assist your specialist enabling them to provide efficient, quality dental treatment.
• Arrive prior to the first scheduled patient to prepare for the day and be a part of the morning huddle according to the office schedule.
• Greet and seat patients as soon as possible and notify Doctor (check the operatory to make sure it is clean and disinfected before seating a new patient)
• Assist the Doctor’s during various procedures and rotate with Doctor’s as requested; in accordance to all State and Federal regulations
• Follow the guidelines set forth by manager of the office you are working at that day; direct supervision is provided by the OM.
• Work closely with the Back Floor Supervisor to ensure an appropriate and adequate clinical supply and that equipment is well maintained in each dental practice, while simultaneously remaining fiscally responsible.
• Must maintain and order specialty supplies with communication to Back Floor Supervisor and Office Manager
• Maintain a clean, sterile and cheerful environment where our patients feel comfortable; prepare them for treatment and assist your specialty- therapy enabling them to provide efficient quality dental treatment. 
• Obtain dental history and/or records from patients (review patient health history for the specialist for all returning patients.
• Work with the front office and back office teams to ensure the specialist’s schedule runs smoothly and efficiently. 
• Ensure that operatories are stocked and cleaned at all times
• Check for patients’ signatures on the Health Questionnaire and Informed Consent Form 
• Accurately /completely document patient care activities in the chart as directed by the doctor and Company policy
• Explain treatment plans to patients as needed
• Escort patients to front office area for patient dismissal when treatment is completed, and inform the receptionist when and for what their next visit(s) must be scheduled
• Disinfect general back office areas; including operatory
• Apply all-wrap in and around operatories where needed
• Clean, sterilize, and package dental instruments 
• Prepare lab cases
• Turn off all equipment nightly, including the vacuum, compressor, etc. 
• Ensure that handpieces are properly cleaned and oiled
• Review the Hazard Communication book and sign the training log
• Ensure that hazardous products are properly labeled
• Follow waste disposal procedures for Sharps and for contaminated material/chemical.
• Compliance with state and Federal infection control standards in the dental office and operatories, including but not limited to: wearing protective barriers such as gloves, scrubs, and eye wear; disinfecting and sterilizing instruments and treatment areas; and disposing properly of contaminated or bio-hazardous waste/materials.

Other duties and Requirements

• Check next day appointment schedule for all lab cases and verify that they are ready, if not, see that the patient is rescheduled
• Follow-up with lab and maintain the log on partials and remakes.
• Attend and participate in staff meetings and team huddles
• Other duties as assigned by the Office Manager, Regional Manager, and/or Dentists

Knowledge, skills, and abilities

• Minimum one year of recent experience as a Specialty Assistant preferred
• Valid California Registered Dental Assistant license and RDA certification required or Certificate from accredited Dental Assisting School preferred
• Bilingual: English & Spanish required (if the geographic location of the office does not require the applicant to be bilingual, applicants who only speak English may be considered)
• CPR and First-Aid certification required
• Infection Control Certificate required (DA Only)
• Ability to obtain an NPI (RDA Only)
• Strong written and verbal communication skills  

• Ability to work with people of all ages (i.e. Children)

• Strong interpersonal and relationship skills
• Ability to work in a fast paced environment and able to multitask 

• Ability to maintain outgoing, friendly attitude with patients and coworkers
• Ability to work with interruptions and to manage multiple priorities
• Ability to work with minimal supervision
• Ability to be extremely organized

Technological Skills

• Autoclave/Chemiclave
• Ultrasonic
• Intra-oral Camera
• O2 and N2O
• Handpieces
• Digital X-ray and X-ray Machine

Work Schedule

The Specialty Assistant will be notified of the work schedule on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basis.  The Specialty Assistant’s schedule is subject to change (daily/weekly hours may increase or decrease) according to the needs of the practice.  Evening and weekend hours may be required.  This position is paid on an hourly basis.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to stand, sit, and walk; talk, hear, and smell; and use hands, fingers, and wrists (manual dexterity and hand-eye coordination) to handle or feel the mouth/teeth and gums of patients, as well as objects, tools, or controls associated with the dental field.   The employee is frequently/occasionally required to reach; lift and/or move up to 25 pounds; and balance, stoop, bend, squat, kneel, crawl, climb, twist, pull, and crouch.  The essential functions of this position will result in the following: hazardous exposure (chemical and infections)—constantly; non ionizing radiation (welding flash, microwaves, sun, etc.)—frequently; radiation (x-ray, radioactive, isotopes, etc.)—constantly; noise (loud/repetitive, 85 decibels per OSHA standard)—constantly; and personal protective equipment (PPE: respiratory masks, latex gloves, face shields, etc.)—constantly.

Work Conditions and Risk

General Dental Office conditions. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The dental office environment may result in employees being exposed to toxic chemicals, radiation, infectious bodily fluids and materials, and increased noise level. This position assumes high risk. 

Independent Action

Under the general supervision of the Office Manager, regular duties performed by the Specialty Assistant may require occasional independent judgment.  The Specialty Assistant must consult with her/his supervisor regarding patient problems or confrontation, policy issues, expenditures, and unusual problems.

Limitations and Disclaimer

The above job description is meant to describe the general nature and level of work being performed; it is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, skills, and physical demands required for the position.

This job description is subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate disabled individuals. Some requirements may exclude individuals who pose a direct threat or significant risk to health and safety of themselves or other employees.

This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by anyone occupying this position. Employees are required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform other job-related duties requested by their supervisor in compliance with State and Federal laws.

The job requirement represents the minimum levels of knowledge, skills, and/or abilities. To perform this job successfully, the employee must possess the abilities to perform each duty proficiently. Continued employment remains on an “at-will” basis.