JOB SUMMARY:

The Registered Dental Hygienist is the chief preventive provider of the practice. This team member motivates, educates, and provides excellent treatment. Under indirect supervision, the Dental Hygienist will remove hard and soft deposits from teeth and examine oral areas, head, and neck for signs of oral disease. They will educate patients on oral hygiene, provide preventative dental care, take, and develop X-rays, apply fluoride and/or sealants. By discovering and documenting areas of failure, both periodontally and restoratively, hygienist facilitates the dentist's diagnosis and treatment recommendations. The RDH is in a special position to provide our patients the most important health service: ongoing preventive oral care by cleaning, scaling, and polishing teeth to prevent gum disease.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

• Welcome and seat patient cheerfully
• Records treatment information on the patient's chart, including treatment rendered, the type of treatment planned and the amount of chair time, doctor time and assistant time needed for next appointment
• Prepare and properly set up treatment rooms for hygiene procedures
• Review and update patient's health history; chart progress, treatments, and home care compliance
• Takes radiographs as directed by the doctor
• Records evaluation of periodontal conditions, occlusal relations and extent of prophylaxis on dental chart to ensure a complete diagnosis and proper treatment plan by the dentist
• Provides customer service support to patients by escorting them to and from the treatment room
• Monitors Nitrous Oxide and Oxygen to patients as applicable
• Applies non‑aerosol and non‑caustic topical agents and pit and fissure sealants
• Removes excess cement from supragingival surfaces of teeth
• Assess and evaluate patient through exam, patient records, and patient's medical history to assist in diagnosis of dental hygiene problems, disease, and efficacy of administered treatment plans. Recognize early signs of periodontal disease; chart restorations and notate areas of concern. Assists doctor during clinical exam and record findings and recommendations
• Develop and present treatment plans
• Perform head, neck, and oral cancer screenings on all patients
• Clean calcareous deposits, accretions, and stains from teeth and beneath margins of gums, using dental instruments, including scaling and root planning for patients with periodontal disease. Applies fluoride and other cavity preventing agents to arrest dental decay.
• Prepares all treatment rooms including, but not limited to, set-up, decontamination, sterilizing and sharpening all instruments, cleaning hand pieces and room, restocking supplies
• Inspects patient's oral cavity and charts lesions, existing restorations, and missing teeth
• Educates patients on the importance of preventative care, the disease process, and the role of bacteria; provides appropriate educational literature and instruction on home care
• Schedules patient's next treatment appointment or communicates with appropriate staff to ensure this is done before patient leaves the practice
• Any other duties as assigned

BENEFITS:

Competitive Pay

401(k)

Medical/Dental/Vision Insurance

PTO and Holiday Pay

SCHEDULE:

Full-Time

Monday through Thursday 7:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

LOCATION:

1712 I Street NW, #802, Washington DC, 20006

EDUCATION:

Associate's Degree or higher in Dental Hygiene, required

EXPERIENCE:

1 years of dental experience, preferred

CERTIFICATIONS:

Dental Assistant Certification, required

X-Ray Certification, required

BLS and/or CPR, required

Certificate to administer local anesthesia, preferred

LICENSES:

Registered Dental Hygienist License, for Washington, DC required