Registered Dental Assistant

JWCH Institute, Inc. is a non-profit Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) with a mission to provide comprehensive health care to low-income and homeless people in the County of Los Angeles.

For many people, gaining access to dental care isn’t simply a matter of finding the nearest dentist. Some may face language and cultural issues that keep them from connecting with dental providers. Others may lack insurance coverage, transportation or childcare that would make it easier for them to visit the dentist. JWCH works to assist patients with navigating barriers and helping them achieve better oral health and improved overall health outcomes.

Position Purpose:

This position is responsible for assisting dentists in the direct provision of primary dental care services to patients at the clinic. The Registered Dental Assistant (RDA) is also responsible for the sterilization, preparation, and inventory control of dental instruments and supplies, as well as ensuring proper infection control in all patient care areas. RDAs are vital members of the JWCH Dental Department and must contribute to fostering a team atmosphere, whether at their assigned clinic or when filling in at other sites. RDAs are expected to use AIDET as an internal and external customer service tool with both patients and JWCH staff. The JWCH Dental Department includes multiple clinics, and all team members are expected to collaborate in a positive and professional manner to deliver patient-centered care. All JWCH Dental staff must have a passion for community-based dental care.

Principal Responsibilities:

1. Serves as the dentist’s chair-side assistant using four-handed dentistry.
2. Assists patients in resolving minor difficulties, answering their questions, and providing directions as authorized by the dentist or hygienist.
3. Prepares treatment procedures for patient care according to Dental Department protocols and the dentist’s instructions.
4. Completes digital dental radiographs and takes intraoral pictures in accordance with state regulations, laws, and Dental Department protocols.
5. Performs independent procedures as delegated by the dentist, such as taking alginate impressions, fabricating temporary crowns, applying dental sealants, and performing coronal polishing in accordance with state regulations, laws, and Department protocols.
6. Maintains all Dental Department equipment in accordance with manufacturer instructions and Dental Department policies and protocols.
7. Ensures adequate operation of supplies and compiles a list of shortages for inventory control and ordering purposes.
8. Maintains a daily list of all scheduled assigned dentist’s patients, monitors patient flow, and assists the dentist(s) in ensuring that all patient records and documents are properly and accurately completed and filed.
9. Receives and places necessary telephone calls related to professional matters, clinical business, and patient care for the Dental Department.
10. Ensures the sterility of all reusable dental instruments and equipment in accordance with Dental Department directives and protocols.
11. Ensures the proper disposal of contaminated or potentially contaminated materials in accordance with Dental Department directives, clinic policies, and state and federal regulations.
12. Participates in appropriate health promotion and disease prevention activities, both on-site and off-site as required.
13. Maintains compliance with Infection Exposure Control, safety, and HIPAA guidelines as required by local, state, and federal regulations, Dental Department directives and protocols, and clinic policies.
14. May be required to perform front office duties such as scheduling and confirming appointments, verifying insurance/other patient eligibility, checking patients in and out, collecting co-pays and balances due, and managing patient flow to reduce cycle time and enhance the patient experience.
15. Performs other duties as assigned by the Lead Dental Assistant and Dental Manager, including preparation and participation in oral health screenings, scrubbing charts for eligible screenings, developing collaborative relationships with Medical Assistants and Medical Providers, and creating and emailing eligibility templates to the Medical and Dental teams as needed.

Chairside Duties Under General Supervision:

1. Apply topical fluoride when operating in a school-based setting or public health program.
2. Operate radiographic equipment.
3. Perform intraoral/extraoral photography.

Additional RDA Chairside Duties Under Direct or General Supervision of Dentist:

1. Perform coronal polishing.
2. Apply topical fluoride.
3. Apply sealants (CA Board-approved course required).
4. Chart obvious lesions, existing restorations, and missing teeth.
5. Fabricate, adjust, cement, and remove indirect provisional restorations, including stainless steel crowns when used as provisional restorations.
6. Test pulp vitality and record findings.
7. Place, adjust, and finish direct provisional restorations.
8. Remove excess cement from tooth surfaces with a hand instrument.
9. Place post-extraction dressings after inspection of the surgical site by the supervising licensed dentist.
10. Obtain intraoral images for computer-aided design (CAD)/intraoral scanning.
11. Adjust dentures extra orally.

Skills and Abilities:

• Effective written and oral communication.
• Comprehensive knowledge of dental assisting techniques and procedures for all phases of specialty and general dentistry.
• Knowledge of modern dental materials, their storage, handling and applications.
• Ability to work with people from a wide diversity of social, ethnic and economic background.

Physical Requirements:

• Prolonged sitting or standing may be required. Those physical movements and the degree of mobility, manual dexterity and hand-eye coordination normally associated with dental assisting in specialty and general practice dentistry will be performed on a repetitive basis.
• May require travel to sites/program and special functions.
• Work under stressful conditions as well as irregular hours may be required.

Environmental Conditions Critical to Performance:

• Frequent exposure to communicable disease, body fluids, toxic substances, medicinal preparations, radiation and other conditions common to a clinical environment may routinely be encountered.
• OSHA Blood Borne Pathogen Exposure Classification - Category I.
• Utilizes appropriate Infection Control protocols.
• May be exposed to low level radiation.
• Will be exposed to outside environmental conditions while traveling.

Education and Experience:

• High School diploma or GED certificate required.
• Active Class A driver’s license required.
• Knowledge of specific issues related to Oral Health Education for children, adolescents, pregnant women and chronic medical conditions such as HIV, Diabetes, high blood pressure, cancers.
• Graduation from a California Board-approved RDA educational program.
• RDA licensure by Dental Board of California.
• Completion of 2-hour CA Dental Board-approved CA Dental Practice Act course.
• Radiation Safety Certificate.
• 8-hour Infection Control course per California Dental Board guidelines.
• Completion of AHA-approved course in Basic Life Support/CPR
• Coronal Polish certificate
• Bilingual: English /Spanish is required

*All JWCH, Wesley Health Centers workforce members are recommended to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Employee Benefits:

At JWCH Institute, Inc., we believe in taking care of those who take care of others. If you work 30+ hours per week, you’ll enjoy competitive pay and a robust benefits package that includes:

• Medical, Dental, Vision
• Monthly employer-sponsored allowance for assistance with health premiums.
• Funded Health Savings Account (up to deductible) to assist with carrier-approved medical expenses.
• Paid time off (vacation, sick leave) and 13 paid holidays.
• 401(k) Safe Harbor Profit Sharing plan.
• Mileage reimbursement.
• Short- and long-term disability plans (LTD/STD).
• Life insurance policy & AD&D, and more!

Become part of a team where your work matters. Apply today and help us change lives, one patient at a time.

JWCH Institute, Inc + Wesley Health Centers is an Equal Opportunity and Fair Chance Employer.