Fee Basis - Dental Assistant

Job Title

Duties

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Major Duties:

• Serves as staff dental assistant for routine patient care and performs a full range of duties with indirect supervision from the lead or supervisory dental assistant or the treating dentist. Performs assigned selected procedures with some independence. Some complex patient procedures are performed under indirect supervision of more experienced dental assistants or dental supervisor.
• Assists the dentist in many aspects of direct patient care and performs other clinical and clerical functions independently of direct supervision.

Customer Service

• Shows courtesy, respect, and a positive attitude for patients, co-workers and the public
• Provides assistance to customers with questions or concerns, provides service recovery

Chairside Assisting

• Sets up operatory and/or surgery suite for planned dental procedure and cleans dental unit for timely turnover
• Passes instruments safely, accurately, and efficiently
• Keeps operative field clear of debris and retracts oral tissues effectively and comfortably
• Prepares dental medicaments and impression materials per manufacturer's instructions
• Accomplishes all intra-operative procedures within standard infection control protocols
• Assists in routine general dental procedures using concepts of four-handed dentistry
• Assists in specialized dental procedures, such as oral surgery, endodontics, periodontics, prosthodontics, implant placement and restoration
• Maintains routine and specialty dental equipment per manufacturer instructions and dental service standards
• Displays a working knowledge of dental materials.

Dental Imaging

• Demonstrates proper infection control procedures when exposing images
• Dental imaging safety techniques are utilized, and retakes are minimized
• Exposes standard and specialty dental imaging (i.e. TMJ, ceph, cone beam) in traditional and/or digital formats
• Modifies settings to achieve the images as requested by the provider
• Images are characterized by diagnostic quality, accurately oriented and exposed
• Imaging requests are accomplished within the desired time frame
• Obtains accurate information necessary for the radiology request and closes pending imaging consults timely

Infection Control and Equipment Sterilization

• Demonstrates proper infection control procedures in setting up and cleaning operatories
• Disinfects oral appliances, preventing cross contamination
• Prepares instruments for transfer for sterilization
• Follows all Standard Operating Procedures, i.e., Reusable Medical Equipment
• Works closely with Sterile Processing to ensure availability of instruments so that clinical care is not delayed

Administrative Functions

• Identifies scheduling gaps in the dentist's clinics and assists MAS with filling gaps
• Initiates computerized progress note
• Assists dentist in charting findings and treatment plans in patient records

Information Management

• Follows HIPAA guidelines
• Follows computer security regulations

Patient Safety

• Modifies care as necessitated by patient's age and abilities (patient transfer and position)
• Provides accurate and understandable instructions to patients
• Participates in patient identification and time out per Joint Commission requirements
• Monitors patient condition during treatment, being alert for signs of physical distress

Employee Education

• Complies with Employee Education requirements
• Completes mandatory annual safety training sessions

Dental Laboratory Functions

• Pours impressions and prepares study models
• Makes final denture impression trays and prepares bite rims
• Fabricates athletic mouth guards and bleaching trays
• Performs other dental laboratory functions as time and skill levels allow

Direct Patient Care

• Monitors patient vital signs (BP, pulse, pulse oximeter) and condition during invasive treatment and during recovery period following procedure
• Applies topical anesthetic at the injection site
• Applies topical fluoride
• Makes impressions for diagnostic casts and preliminary impressions for prosthetic fabrication
• Removes plaque and soft debris from removable prostheses
• Provides patient preventative education and oral hygiene instruction
• Provides post-operative and other appropriate patient education
• Triage patient phone calls or walk-ins to determine the priority of a patient's treatment based on the severity of their condition; obtain and document enough information from the patient so dentist can prepare to treat patient accordingly

Work Schedule: Intermittent Mon - Fri 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., and (optional) Saturdays 7:45 a.m. - 4:15 p.m.

Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized

Pay: $30 per patient, not to exceed 2,080 patients per year ($62,400)

Telework: Not Available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 54137F, 54138F, 54139F, 54403F

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

US Department of Veterans Affairs