Dental Assistant

Dental Assistant

The Dental Assistant position is a full-time, non-exempt, entry-level position responsible for assisting dental providers in delivering high-quality oral healthcare services. The Dental Assistant is responsible for assisting dental providers during procedures, sterilizing instruments, preparing operatory rooms, maintaining patient records, and maintaining inventory of dental instruments and supplies. Responsible for creating a clean and safe environment for patients and staff.

Every Adelante Healthcare employee will strive to maximize their performance and contribution to Adelante Healthcare and the community we serve every day. Employees are expected to work in a manner that demonstrates a commitment to quality, patient safety, employee engagement, innovation, and the highest standards of personal integrity, professionalism, and competence.

Our core values are: Inclusion, Nurture, Service, Purposeful, Integrity, Resilient, Engaged.

Essential skills and experience include:

• Certification to perform cardiopulmonary Resuscitation for the Health Care Professional (CPR) and AED through courses that follow the guidelines from the American Heart Association and Red Cross (cognitive and skills evaluations)
• Valid Level One Fingerprint Clearance Card issued by the Arizona Department of Public Safety for all specialty behavioral health locations
• High school diploma or GED from an accredited institution
• Minimum two (2) years of dental assistant experience
• Dental Assistant Certificate required
• Radiation Health and Safety (RHS) certificate from the Arizona Dental Assisting National Board required
• Coronal Polishing (CP) certificate from the Arizona Dental Assisting National Board required
• Knowledge of dental terminology, instruments and procedures
• Exceptional communication skills and interpersonal skills
• Intermediate computer efficiency to include proficiency in Windows, MS Office, and Patient Management System
• Advanced office skills: typing and telephone answering etiquette
• Valid Arizona driver's license

Position responsibilities/essentials include:

• Greet all patients and visitors. Assist patients and visitors with questions, directing them to the appropriate person as necessary
• Assist patients in resolving minor difficulties, answer their questions, and giving directions to patients as authorized by the dental providers
• Assist the dental front office with entry-level duties as needed
• Maintain an adequate patient flow and assist the Dental Providers in assuring that all patient records and documents are properly and accurately completed
• Receive and place necessary telephone calls for clinical business and patient care in the dental department
• Assist dental providers chair-side
• Prepare the operatory for patient treatment as per dental department protocols and the dental provider's directions
• Perform dental radiographs in accordance with state regulations and law as well as dental department directives and protocols
• Perform dental coronal polish in accordance with state regulations and law as well as dental department directives and protocols
• Educate patients on oral hygiene techniques and post-operative care instructions
• Assist with laboratory procedures, such as pouring and trimming models, fabricating temporary crowns, and taking impressions
• Maintain sterility of all reusable dental instruments in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions for use and the dental department's policies and procedures
• Maintain dental department equipment in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions for use and the dental department's policies and procedures
• Maintain all dental department areas in compliance with dental department directives and protocols as well as health center policies and procedures relative to infection control, exposure control, and safety issues
• Maintain an adequate inventory of supplies while maintaining a list of supply shortages for inventory control and ordering purposes
• Insure the proper disposal of all contaminated or potentially contaminated materials in accordance with dental department directives, health center policies and procedures, as well as state and federal regulations
• Perform all functions in full compliance with the health centers and the dental department exposure control plan, including but not limited to the use of Personal Protective Equipment and Universal Precautions
• Responsible for full personal compliance with all applicable federal, state, local, and health center rules, regulations, protocols, and procedures, including but not limited to the participation of a Dental Assistant in the provision of clinical dental care, as well as those relating to, but not limited to personnel issues, workplace safety, public health, and confidentiality
• Ability to travel to other dental locations to support organizational needs

Nonessential skills and experience include:

• Ability to communicate in more than one language

Additional duties and responsibilities include:

• Other duties as requested or assigned

Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) and Integrated Care Team (ICT)

All employees are responsible for promoting and participating in interdisciplinary communication and collaboration to enhance the delivery of quality across the health care system. Employees should maintain an environment which supports and engages patients and co-workers in a caring team-based model to promote wellness and improve health outcomes.

Adherence to Compliance and Code of Conduct

All employees are required to comply with Adelante Healthcare's written standards, including its Compliance Program and Code of Conduct, policies and procedures and reporting of any conduct that potentially violates Adelante's legal or compliance requirements. Such compliance will be an element considered as part of the regular performance evaluation.

Physical demands and work environment

The physical demands and work environment characteristics 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.

Physical demands: While performing the duties of this job, the employee may be required to sit for long periods of time, is required to stand, walk, use hands to handle or feel objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb steps/stairs; balance; stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl; talk or hear; smell; manage stress as it relates to essential job functions. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 25 pounds without assistance and may occasionally be required to lift or move up to 50 pounds with assistance. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

Work environment: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is exposed to weather conditions prevalent at the time when traveling to various clinic sites. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. The employee may be subject to health hazards (contagious diseases, blood borne pathogens, etc.) when working in the clinic area.

In any organization or job, changes take place over time. Although an effort will be made to keep job-related information current, this is not an all-inclusive list of job responsibilities. Adelante Healthcare, Inc. reserves the right to revise or change job duties and responsibilities as the business need arises. In compliance with EEOC 29 CFR part 1630, if the essential functions of this position cannot be performed in a satisfactory manner by the employee, further accommodations shall be made if it does not constitute undue hardships upon this organization.