Dental Director

Dental Director

Provides leadership, clinical oversight, and administrative direction for the Dental Services department, ensuring the delivery of a comprehensive dental program throughout the life cycle with emphasis on prevention of dental disease, promotion of dental health, and treatment of disease, injuries, and malformations. Directs departmental operations, staff, budget, and quality improvement activities in alignment with the organization's mission and strategic goals.

Essential duties and responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

• Provides overall leadership, direction, and administrative oversight of the Dental Services department, including clinical operations, staffing, scheduling, and budget management.
• Develops, implements, and evaluates the Dental Health Care Plan and departmental goals in coordination with senior leadership.
• Works with members of other departments, participates in planning joint technical programs, and recommends methods and procedures for coordination of dental services with medical, nutritional, social, and other human services.
• Investigate and study trends and developments in dental practices and techniques, reflecting applicable advances in the field, to guide professional and technical staff.
• Oversees the integration of dental health services into primary care as indicated in the Dental Health Care Plan.
• Establishes and monitors policies and procedures for recall systems, short call lists, and management of patients who are chronically late or break appointments.
• Ensures maintenance of accurate, confidential, and secure patient records in accordance with applicable regulations.
• Provides direct dental care as needed, including diagnosing and treating disease, injuries, and malformations of teeth and gums.
• Performs visual examinations of patients' teeth and surrounding oral structures utilizing x-rays, mouth mirrors, exploratory instruments, and other diagnostic procedures; documents findings and develops treatment plans.
• Oversees procedures including cavity repair, extractions, root canal therapy, denture impressions, and treatment of diseases of the teeth, gums, and mouth.
• Advises patients, staff, and the community on dental health practices and preventive care.
• Directs the procurement and maintenance of adequate dental supplies and equipment, including capital equipment planning.
• Promotes public health initiatives such as water fluoridation and community dental health education programs.
• Plans, organizes, and leads on-site and off-site dental screening initiatives and tracks abnormalities and outcomes.
• Chairs or actively participates in the Continuous Quality Improvement Committee, driving quality and safety initiatives for the department.
• Monitors clinical staff performance to ensure safe, ethical, and compliant dental practices.
• Represents the organization in national, state, and local dental societies and professional organizations.
• Attends and leads staff meetings, in-service education programs, and professional development initiatives for dental staff.
• Formulates, writes, and reviews technical reports, departmental policies, and procedures.
• Serves as a resource and educator for patients, community members, and personnel on dental health topics.
• Develops and manages the departmental budget, including revenue cycle oversight and productivity monitoring.
• Recruits, hires, trains, and evaluates dental providers and support staff.

Supervisory responsibilities directly supervise dentists, dental hygienists, dental assistants, and support staff within the Dental Services department. Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization's policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems.

Qualifications to perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Education and/or experience: DDS or DMD from an accredited School of Dentistry. Minimum of five (5) years of clinical dental experience, with at least two (2) years in a supervisory, leadership, or administrative capacity, preferred. Experience in a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) or community health setting preferred.
• Language skills