Dental Back Office - Dental Assistant

SUMMARY

Dental assistants work under the supervision of dentists and are responsible for a wide range of tasks in the dental office, ranging from patient care to administrative duties to laboratory functions. The dental assistant position is flexible and varied in the dental office and requires a diverse set of skills: clinical, clerical, interpersonal, and technological.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES including the following. Other duties may be assigned.

1. Chair-side Assisting: Assists the dentist in providing dental treatment

• Prepare and maintain dental instruments, supplies and equipment
• Collect and record patient health histories
• Take and record patient vital signs
• Patient management during dental procedures
• Instrument transfer
• Dental procedure isolation techniques
• Preparation of dental materials, cements, amalgam, composite, impression materials, etc.
• Dental charting
• Prevention and management of dental medical emergencies
• Inventory control and management

2. Expanded Functions

• Taking dental x-rays
• Applying topical fluoride treatments
• Placing topical medications

3. Dental Infection Control Procedures

• Managing the dental office infection control plan to meet OSHA, CDC and ADA

standards

• Instrument cleaning, sterilization/disinfection, and re-circulation
• Dental treatment room disinfection

4. Dental Laboratory Procedures

• Pouring impressions to make stone and plaster models
• Model trimming
• Fabricating mouth guards, bleaching trays, fluoride trays, and custom impression trays.

5. Patient and Community Education

• Delivering patient personal oral care instructions
• Explaining the treatment plan that the dentist has decided upon
• Delivering community dental health presentations
• Planning and setting-up health fair booths

6. Assisting with Front Office Duties

• Scheduling and confirming appointments
• Handling patient reception
• Managing patient records
• Managing business records
• Following accounting/book keeping procedures
• Processing patient insurance
• Preparing written business communications
• Handling marketing for the dental department

7. Additional Duties

• Assisting patients with filling out forms and other services they may need
• Interpreting for patients, providers, and staff as needed
• Maintaining full and productive schedules for dental providers
• Traveling to other locations as needed

Participating in meetings and training sessionsWorking collaboratively with other departments


SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

As requested by the dentist, may be asked to assist in the supervision of other dental assistants.

QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Position requires the use of computers therefore computer skills are a must.

EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE

Successful completion of a dental assistant program plus one year of experience. Successful completion of a radiation safety course.

LANGUAGE SKILLS

Ability to read, write English and Spanish. Ability to speak to individuals and to groups.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS

Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations.

REASONING ABILITY

Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS

Radiation Safety Certificate and CPR certification required.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; reach with hands and arms; and stoop, kneel, crouch, bend or crawl. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 10 pounds, frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds, and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently exposed to fumes or airborne particles. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

MEASUREMENTS OF SUCCESS

• Peer review scores of satisfactory or higher.
• Via patient satisfaction survey, 80% of the patients are satisfied with their quality of care.

WORK HOURS

Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, part or all of an 8 hour shift. Saturday, 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, part or all of a 6 hour shift.

SENSORY & COMMUNICATION COMPONENTS:

Verbal

• Must be understood and be able to articulate in interactions with patients, staff andother medical providers.
• Must be able to convey spoken instructions accurately andquickly.

Auditory

• Must be able to hear in interactions withpatients, patients' families, staff and other medical providers.
• Must be able to hear telephone, equipment, and alarms.

Visual

• Must be able to see with clarity at a distance of 20 inches to see patient documents, office documents and computer.
• Must have the ability to focus, judge distances and good peripheral vision. Must be able to see with clarity at a distance of 20 feet to aid patients to exam room if needed.
• Must have the ability to focus, judge distances and good peripheral vision.

Tactile/Olfactory

• Must be able to differentiate temperature and moisture in patient waiting and care areas.

PHYSICAL CAPACITIES: See attached for expected physical requirements and activities.

ENVIRONMENT CONDITIONS:

• Rare exposure to outside conditions such as rain, heat, extreme heat, cold, or humidity will occur if performing duties outside of the building.
• Moderate noise level exists.
• Office equipment may provide and increase risk for potential of electrical shock.
• Rare exposure to toxic chemicals may occur due to the use of certain medications, solutions and cleaning agents used in a Primary Care Health Center.
• Exposure to low dose radiation from x-ray unit.

KNOWN HAZARDS:

• Body substance exposure classification: Category 3. Low risk exposure to blood/bloody fluid when working in the clinic.

PREVENTATIVE, EDUCATIONAL, SURVEILLANCE PROGRAMS IN USE:

• Policy and procedure manual including infection control program, body substance isolation.
• TB surveillance program.
• Hepatitis B, ATD and flu vaccine program.
• Annual body mechanics review.
• Fire policy; annual fire extinguisher practice, and fire drills.
• Annual electrical safety review.
• Personal radiation monitoring program