Dental Assistant

Overview:

Akicita Federal is seeking qualified Dental Assistants to provide non-personal healthcare services at the Albuquerque Indian Dental Clinic within the Albuquerque Area Indian Health Service (IHS). The Dental Assistant will support dental and orthodontic operations, ensuring high-quality patient care in accordance with Federal, State, Local, Tribal, and IHS regulations, with minimal disruption to government personnel, property, and the general public.

$50,000 - $60,000 a year

Duties and Responsibilities:

-Document all patient encounters in the Electronic Health Record (EHR) following AIDC policies, AAAHC standards, and CMS regulations.

-Assist dentists by restoring teeth following preparation, including:

-Selection, contouring, and placement of matrices

-Placement of bases and liners

-Packing, carving, and polishing of complex alloy restorations, including those requiring cusp replacements and retentive pins.

-Place and finish complex composite restorations and fabricate/adjust temporary restorations.

-Select, contour, cement stainless steel crowns, and fabricate and adjust temporary acrylic crowns and bridges.

-Provide patients with post-operative care instructions.

-Perform various procedures including:

-Placement and removal of rubber dams

-Removal of sutures

-Application of desensitizing agents and periodontal dressings

-Placement of surgical gauze following extractions

-Assist with endodontic procedures by isolating teeth, cleansing, irrigating, applying medicaments, and closing teeth temporarily.

-Take primary impressions for study models, pour and trim models, and fabricate custom trays and bite rims.

-Perform complex oral prophylaxis, apply topical fluoride treatments, and place pit and fissure sealants.

-Operate ultrasonic scalers and hand instruments for calculus removal.

-Educate patients on disease prevention and demonstrate individual home care techniques.

-Expose, process, and mount intra-oral and extra-oral radiographs.

-Maintain cleanliness and operability of clinical areas, ensuring instruments are sharpened and sterilized.

-Manage inventory and order necessary supplies to ensure the clinic remains properly stocked.

-Take and record patient blood pressure.

-Apply and remove periodontal and surgical packs and dressings.

-Perform other related duties as assigned by the supervisor.

-Maintain all necessary clinical privileges.

Qualifications:

Education:

Graduation from an accredited dental assistant training school or proof of equivalent on-the-job training.

Certifications:

-Current Basic Life Support (BLS) certification.

-Current Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certification.

Experience:

Relevant experience assisting with complex dental and orthodontic procedures is strongly preferred.