Primary Accountability
The Dental Assistant is responsible for preparing the patient for dental
treatment and assisting the dentist with various clinical dental procedures.
Description of Primary Responsibilities
1. Responsible for supporting and monitoring patient flow in the back office.
1. Scrubs appointments in advance to ensure proper lab cases, finances, and
information is available for the patient visit.
2. Assists in the distribution of patients among dental providers, including
walk-ins.
3. Keeps patients informed of wait times and ensures patients are properly
flowed in the system.
4. Understands general front office workflows and is able to step in to
support the front office when needed, and schedule patient appointments.
2. Responsible for performing various initial aspects of the patient visit.
1. Greets patients in the reception area and escorts the patient to the
dental operatory.
2. Obtains vital signs and patient data.
3. Reviews health record with the patient and updates clinical information
such as current medications, allergies, medical and surgical histories.
4. Performs documentation in the patient’s electronic health record
according to policy and training.
5. Assures completion of consent forms and signatures.
6. Operation of dental radiographic equipment for the purpose of oral
radiography.
7. Disinfects/prepares the operatory, and sets up trays and dental
armamentarium for treatment.
3. Responsible for performing supportive dental procedures under general
supervision of a dentist.
- Sterilizing instruments under infection control protocol.
- Assisting the dentist during a variety of dental treatment procedures:
charting, restorative, prosthodontics, endodontics, oral surgery,
periodontics and pedodontics.
3. Assures patients feel comfortable before, during and after dental
treatment.
4. Provides patients with instructions for oral care following surgery or
other dental treatment procedures.
5. Provides oral health education and oral hygiene instruction as needed.
6. Explains as necessary dental treatment or procedures to the patient when
questions are asked.
4. Responsible for performing various aspects of patient visit.
1. Take impressions for diagnostic and opposing models, bleaching trays,
temporary crowns and bridges, and sports guards with proper pour-ups.
2. Apply non-aerosol and non-caustic topical agents.
3. Remove post-extraction and periodontal dressings.
4. Apply topical fluoride, after scaling and polishing by the dentist/RDA.
5. Place and remove rubber dams.
6. Place wedge and remove matrices.
5. Performs other duties as assigned or required for quality of care.
1. Communicates with patients and suppliers (i.e., scheduling appointments,
ordering supplies, coordinating equipment repairs, etc.)
2. Responsible for preparing and stocking dental operatories and monitoring
adequate supplies in stock.
3. Responsible for discarding of Biohazard waste and sharps.
4. Accountable for weekly testing and weekly/monthly cleaning of
sterilization equipment.
5. Responsible for daily and weekly cleaning of water lines in the dental
operatory units.
6. Responsible for maintaining accurate and timely logs.
7. Assists in other operatories or in front office if time allows or need is
determined by the supervisor.
6. Responsible for adhering to the Attendance and Absenteeism Policy,
recognizing that regular attendance is considered an essential function of
all FHCN positions. Absenteeism is not being at work or failing to attend a
paid workshop, training, or event unless the absence is protected by law.
7. Ability to present to and work at any FHCN location, both at the beginning
of a shift or during a shift, based on business need.
8. Performs other duties as assigned.
Description of Primary Attributes
Professional & Technical Knowledge:
Effective June 1, 2026, all individuals hired into the role must:
1. Possesses work-related skills at a higher level than completion of high
school, including formal written and verbal communications skills,
computational and computer skills, mathematical, and technical skills.
2. Have proof of completion of high school with a minimum overall GPA of 2.5 or
completion of General Educational Development (GED) with a minimum overall
score of 162.5, and health care related knowledge frequently acquired
through completion of a trade school, para-professional, or certificate type
program.
3. If an individual has completed a degree at a higher level than required by
the role and had a stronger GPA in that program, they may provide proof of
GPA from that degree in lieu of the high school diploma.
4. Two years of experience or successful completion of a dental assistant
externship with Family HealthCare Network.
5. Must have proof of completing a Radiation Safety Course.
Technical Skills:
1. Ability to prepare more complex documents in Microsoft Word, including
creating tables, charts, graphs and other elements.
2. Ability to use Microsoft Excel to review and compile data, including the use
of formulas, functions, lookup tables and other standard spreadsheet
elements.
3. Ability to create basic presentations in Microsoft PowerPoint.
Licenses & Certifications: Requires a Dental Assistant certification.
Communications Skills:
1. Job duties require the compilation of information prepared in effective
written form, including correspondence, reports, articles or other
documentation.
2. Effectively conveys technical information to non-technical audiences.
Physical Demands: The physical demands described here in this job description
are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully
perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may
be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential
functions.
While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required
to sit and use repetitive hand movement to type and grasp. The employee is
frequently required to stand or walk; and occasionally bend waist, twist waist,
squat, climb, kneel, reach above shoulder height as well as below shoulder
height, and/or move items up to 20 pounds.
Pay Scale:
Min Hourly Rate: $21.00
Max Hourly Rate: $28.60
