Registered Dental Assistant

Registered Dental Assistant I

Committed to Our Community in the Heart of the Redwoods. Removing Barriers to Healthcare Access

DNCHC Del Norte Community Health Center The Registered Dental Assistant I (RDA I) provides chair-side support to dentists and dental hygienists, working collaboratively in a patient-centered care team setting. Registered Dental Assistants advocate for patients and assist in the furtherance of their care as directed within the California DA Scope of Practice. The RDA I possesses proficient understanding and demonstration of RDA tasks and scope of practice with support of additional training as outlined in the essential duties and responsibilities below. The RDA I performs tasks independently and may be able to describe the purpose of the task and troubleshoot issues.

Our Registered Dental Assistant hourly wage ranges are listed below. All new hires will start at the base wage for the position.

Registered Dental Assistant I: $28.88 - $36.71

Registered Dental Assistant II: $30.00 - $39.35

Hmong and Spanish speakers who successfully pass a language exam will receive an additional .75 hourly differential to their wage.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Prepares patients for procedures by dentist and assists chair-side.
• Assists dentist with as many procedures as adequately trained to do, including but not limited to: cleanings, fillings, root canals, crowns, extractions, dentures and coronal polishing.
• Takes, develops and mounts X-rays; properly uses Scanx, Sensors, and panorex machine as qualified; imports and exports images.
• Checks blood sugars for patients.
• Applies sealants on children of all ages.
• Places bases, liners and bonding agents.
• Performs pulp tests, using the diagnodent and record findings.
• Sizes bands for space maintainers and fabricates them in house.
• Places bridge, onlays and difficult temporary restorations/crowns.
• Sets up the laser, nitrous oxide, ozone and air abrasion units.
• Understands usage of materials and contraindications; communicate effectively the reasons for using or not using materials.
• Takes bow transfers.
• Adjusts dentures to patients' and providers' satisfaction.
• Makes all forms of temporary crowns such as SSC, Ion and Acrylic.
• Files patient dental information into chart accurately.
• Provides patient education on proper dental care.
• Prepares operatories between patient visits by cleaning and stocking in accordance with dentist's practices and OSHA compliance guidelines.
• Wraps equipment for autoclaving and operates autoclaves correctly; mixes and uses different cleaning solutions as required for each test.
• Follows guidelines for universal precautions including hand washing and use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) as appropriate.
• Navigates medical emergency according to safety procedures and scope of practice.
• Keeps operatories, hallways, and other areas clean.
• Adheres to the basic RDA scope of practice in California.
• Other duties and responsibilities as designated by supervisor.

Qualifications and Expectations:

• Ability to promote effective communication between the patient and the dental provider.
• Ability to accurately chart patient information.
• Ability to handle difficult or confrontational situations in a calm, consistent, and equitable manner.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to establish constructive professional working relationships among a diverse workforce.
• Ability to work as a member of a team, communicating and/or soliciting pertinent information to and from other team members and supporting team decisions; ability to work independently as well.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, written and verbal; Ability to establish constructive working relationships with all levels of management and employees of varied and diverse backgrounds.
• Ability to write routine reports and correspondence.
• Ability to effectively represent ODCHC's interests in the community and maintain effective working relationships among coworkers, public, private, and professional groups.
• Strong computer skills with specific aptitude in Microsoft Office Suite and/or Electronic Medical Records (EMR).
• Exercises sound and responsible judgment.

Education and/or Experience:

• High school diploma or GED.
• Completion of accredited Dental Assistant training program OR 15 months of dental assistant experience.

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations:

• Current California RDA registration (required)
• Completion of California General Law and Ethics Written Examination (required)
• Coronal Polishing Certificate (required)
• Dental Radiography Certificate (required)
• Pit and Fissure Sealant Certification (required)
• Current CPR Certification (required)

Supervisory Responsibilities: None.

Supervision and Support: The Dental Assistant reports directly to the Administrative Site Director and is an integral member of the Dental care team.

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to communicate via telephone, video, and/or in-person.
• Vision adequate to read documents, computer screens, forms.
• Ability to remain stationary for extended periods.
• Ability to lift, carry, or otherwise move up to 25 pounds.
• Good manual dexterity.
• Ability to use keyboard and view computer screens for extended periods.
• Ability to travel locally and long-distance as needed.
• Ability to move around offices and clinics as needed.