Dental Assistant

Senior Clinical Expanded Functional Dental AssistantThe Senior Clinical Expanded Functional Dental Assistant will function in the clinical setting as their certification indicates, enhancing the dentist's capabilities utilizing tooth restoration procedures that have been prepared by the dentist. This allows the dentist to treat more patients. Expanded function level is defined as possessing the training and ability to provide independent and expert dental procedures as well as providing clinical assistance to the treating dentists in more complex procedural cases. The expanded function dental assistant has an increased depth and breadth of dental practice skills, and has mastered a range of dental procedures and interventions and provides direct patient care within the scope of practice. Examples of procedures may be diagnostic, restorative and/or surgical in nature. The expanded functional dental assistant will make independent professional decisions and recommendations to the treating dentist and interdisciplinary care teams. The expanded functional dental assistant has the expertise to participate in the professional development of colleagues through mentorship and teaching. Representative duties at this level include, but are not limited to:Responsible for the imaging quality control program, troubleshooting and appropriate referral of identified imaging issues.Participates in developing equipment requests and justifications based on workload analysis.Specialty functions may include managing post-surgical bleeding, tying-in arch wires and selecting and placing orthodontic brackets.Restores teeth prepared by dentist with permanent and temporary fillings: places bases, and liners; selects, adapts, and places matrices to normal and abnormal teeth; places, condenses, carves, finishes, and polishes amalgam restorations, including those involving grossly decayed teeth requiring cusp replacement, and retentive pins; places, compresses, cures, and finishes composite restorations including multi-surfaced anterior restorations; places and contours temporary restorations.Supports dentist in endodontic treatments by applying rubber dam, removing temporary filling using low speed handpiece, and cleansing and drying operative fieldTakes preliminary impressions for study models, modifying impression tray as needed. Pours and trims models. Constructs custom impression trays and simple repairs on removable dentures.Retracts gingiva from tooth for final impressions by placing and removing retraction cord.Selects, adapts, and seats stainless steel crowns; constructs and cements temporary acrylic crowns, and bridges.Adjusts removable prosthesis, at appointments other than initial delivery.Operates dental X-ray equipment to take intra- and extra-oral radiographsProvides chairside assistance, fully anticipating dentist's needs for various instruments, materials and services.Assists oral surgeon while patient is under local anesthesia or IV sedation/General Anesthesia in the OR in operations which include bony impacted 3rd molars, removal of arch bars, crown lengthening, simple and surgical extractions, alveoplasties, tori removal, closure of oral-antra fistulas, and excisional biopsies.May perform other tasks defined by state licensing board.