Dental Assistant - Float

Dental Assistant Float

This career service Dental Assistant Float position will be an active team member in the Community Based Oral Health Dental Department, assisting in program development, community assessment, implementation, program evaluation and dental clinic support. Public Health Seattle & King County is seeking a Registered Dental Assistant to join our vibrant and diverse team with the Community Based Oral Health Dental Program housed at our Eastgate Public Health Dental Clinic. Public Health Seattle & King County Dental Clinics provide emergency and comprehensive dental services to an ethnically and racially diverse population of low-income children and adults, including pregnant women, homeless adults and teens. The Community Based Oral Health Registered Dental Assistant will work under the clinical supervision of Registered Dental Hygienists and Dentists in a variety of dental settings doing preparation and prevention procedures and other related duties as required in a dental clinic and/or community program. This full-time Career Service position will work 9 months (school year) in the Oral Health Field Program based at Eastgate Public Health Center which provides community-based services, primarily in schools. For the other 3 months (Summer), the position will work out of the float pool as a clinical dental assistant for Community Health Services and Jail Health Services dental clinics throughout King. Working in JHS dental clinics requires passing a background check and obtaining approval from the Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention. Float Pool assignments are made based on business needs. The position is expected to be able to travel to all clinics.

This recruitment will be used to create an eligibility pool to fill additional Career Service, Term-Limited Temporary (TLT), or Special Duty Assignment (SDA) vacancies that may occur over the next six months.

Named after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the most influential civil rights leaders in our nation's history, King County is a vibrant international community with residents that represent countries from around the world. It is a region with increasing diversity that cherishes the traditions of many cultures.

The county government has a deep commitment to equity and social justice and advancing practices, strategies, and policies that promote fairness, justice, and opportunity for all – in our workplaces and our communities. With this commitment, King County has adopted a pro-equity agenda to advance regional change and ensure that residents from all communities are incorporated into our emergency planning and public outreach efforts.

We recognize that structural racism consists of principles and practices that cause and justify an inequitable distribution of rights, opportunities, and experiences across racial groups. Since declaring Racism is a Public Health Crisis in June 2020, King County and Public Health committed to being intentionally anti-racist and accountable to Black, Indigenous and People of Color communities.

To learn more, please visit

Work schedule varies slightly based on operational needs of the Oral Health Program, school districts, individual school schedule and dental clinics. Standard oral health program hours are Monday through Friday 7:00am – 4:00p. (This may vary per school district and is subject to change to accommodate operational needs) Evening, weekend work and driving is required for this position. Workdays and hours will be determined at time of hire. This may vary based on program operational needs. Standard dental clinic hours are Monday through Friday 8:00am – 5:00pm. FLSA non-exempt and overtime eligible.

Work will be performed onsite at Eastside Public Health Center located at 14350 SE Eastgate Way Bellevue, WA 98007, but may be asked to work at other dental clinics as needed:

• Columbia Dental Clinic- 4400 37th Ave S Seattle, WA 98118
• Downtown Dental Clinic- 2124 4th Ave Seattle, WA 98121
• North Dental Clinic- 12359 Lake City Way NE Seattle, WA 98125
• Renton Dental Clinic- 3201 NE 7th St Renton, WA 98056

Job duties include but not limited to the following:

• Act as a chairside assistant for restorative, oral surgery, endodontic, hygiene and other procedures as needed.
• Take diagnostic quality intra-oral and extra-oral radiographs.
• Provide child prophies.
• Apply dental sealants in clinical and community settings.
• Apply topical preventative agents
• Take and review patient medical and dental history and present relevant info to the Dentist.
• Assist dentist with emergency procedures.
• Perform other duties as allowed by the Washington State Dental Practice Act 18.32
• Educate patients in oral hygiene and anticipatory guidance health behaviors.
• Maintain patient flow.
• Accurately document medical record information under the direction of the dentist.
• Maintain operatories and dental spaces in good working order and ensure compliance with OSHA/WISHA requirements.
• Clean and sterilize dental instruments in accordance with State and Federal requirements.
• Perform routine dental equipment maintenance (clinical and portable) and process repairs.
• Maintain dental supply inventory and ordering.
• Make patient reminder calls and follow up on missed appointments as needed.
• Greet and reassure clients.
• Actively participate as a team member in the community-based program.
• Complete client registrations, billing, and conduct follow-up with patients/families as needed.
• Responsible for accurate completion of encounters as per Dental Program/Business Revenue Unit Policies and Procedures and Medicaid billing guidelines.
• Responsible for accurate data entry and analysis for community-based program using statistical computer programs.
• Maintain files as well as related treatment and client education records.
• Maintain community site files and information.
• Maintain supply of educational materials.
• Maintain dental equipment (clinical and portable) and process repairs.
• Contact community sites to schedule dates and follow up with information gathering related to community services.
• Do data entry and program evaluations for reports.
• Other duties as assigned.

Our ideal candidate (Minimum Qualifications):

• Completion of a recognized Dental Assistant course program or equivalent experience.
• Current registration as a Registered Dental Assistant in the State of Washington.
• Current/valid BLS/CPR for health care providers.
• Bilingual in Spanish and English desired.
• Working knowledge of methods and techniques used in dental assisting.
• Working knowledge of terminology, materials, equipment, and instruments used in dentistry.
• Working knowledge of dental radiograph techniques and principles.
• Must be able to move up to 40 lbs. to transport oral health supplies and presentation materials to community sites.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively manage schedules whether patients or community sites.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain patient files and other records in accordance with practice guidelines, applicable regulations, and program needs.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively present oral health information in classrooms, clinics and other community settings to individuals and groups.
• Act as a liaison between program, school nurse, parents & the community by attending open houses, outreach events, health fairs and other community events to promote the Oral Health Program to get increased consent form/parent participation in the program.
• Demonstrated computer skills in Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point, Publisher, and database statistical programs.
• Demonstrated ability to manage behavioral problems in a dental clinic and/or community settings.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively interact with clients of diverse socio-economic and cultural backgrounds as well as the ability to work with clients for whom English is a second language.
• Experience working with both in-person and telephonic interpreters in a clinical setting. OR any equivalent combination of experience and education which provides the applicant with the desired skills, knowledge and ability required to perform the work.

The most competitive applicants will have the following experiences and qualifications (Desired):

• Applicants with experience in a public/community health center or clinic setting desired.
• Experience with using EPIC/WISDOM patient management software systems to register, check in, check out, collect payments, and schedule clients.
• Applicants bilingual in Spanish and English desired. This skill is highly desired but will not disqualify you from being considered.
• Applicants bilingual in English and Arabic, Amharic, Cantonese, Dari, Mandarin, Pashto, Russian, Somali, Ukrainian or other languages desired. This skill is highly desired but will not disqualify you from being considered.
<