Welcoming all who need care

Job title

Dental Hygienist

Reports to

Chief Dental Officer

Status

Exempt (Contract)

Job purpose

The Dental Hygienist is responsible for providing a full range of oral hygiene services and education to Heartland Health Center patient panel. This position will require OSHA training and will be subject to blood and other bodily fluids. In accordance with HIPAA regulations, this position requires full access to Protected Health Information (PHI). Such disclosure is necessary to perform the requirements of the job. Confidentiality of PHI must be maintained. The Dental Hygienist has a key role in expanding the development of an integrated health care model for Heartland Community Health Center.

Duties and responsibilities

• Preventative and rehabilitative caries control and periodontal services:
  1. Routine prophylaxis and topical application
  2. Apply SDF as needed
  3. Use ART technique to place interim restorations as needed
  4. Scale and Root Planning
  5. Remove overhangs of filling materials
  6. Properly expose, process and mount oral radiographs
  7. Polish restorations
  8. May use local anesthetic for procedures as needed

• Promote an atmosphere of good dental and general health by demonstrating good personal oral hygiene
• Educate patients on techniques of flossing, brushing, overall oral health, and the role of the dental care team
• Clean and sterilize instruments appropriately
• Follow infection control protocols and standard operating procedures
• Complete required daily, monthly, and annual equipment maintenance
• Wears appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE)
• Lab duties include pour and trim models and fabricating trays
• Remove the biohazard trash as needed
• Answer patient inquiries related to pain and/or medications
• Perform all duties in accordance with OSHA regulations
• Is attentive to patient needs

• Attend meetings as required (Joint Staff, Department, etc.)
• Completes assigned trainings in timely manner
• Perform other duties as assigned
• Use safety precautions to protect patient and self

Charting:

1. Existing caries and restorations, missing teeth and prostheses
2. Periodontal assessment including but not limited to probing depths, recession, mobility, and furcation involvement
3. Complete head and neck exam, including soft tissue pathology
4. Properly makes oral radiographs
5. Takes necessary safety precautions to protect patient from unnecessary radiation

• Education:

1. Educate patients on oral health maintenance and prevention (brushing, flossing, plaque control, diet, etc.)
2. Educate patients or guardians on the benefit of fluoride
3. Receive professional training from internal and external sources to establish and utilize skills to become a leader in the clinic and in the community in the integration of dental services in the primary care setting

• Attend meetings as required (Joint Staff, Department, etc.)
• Rotate to Medical Clinic for Medical/Dental integration
• Empower medical teams to deliver dental screenings to medical patients. Establish team relationships and coordinate bi-directional ‘warm handoffs’ to and from specialty dental according to established protocols
• Goal to treat no less than 1 patient per patient facing hour in clinic and no less than 2 patients per patient facing hour in community-based care setting
• Perform other duties as assigned

Qualifications

Skills Required

• Ability to prioritize tasks to provide appropriate efficient and quality patient care
• Ability to anticipate and react calmly in emergency situations
• Knowledge of HIPAA privacy rules and regulations
• Knowledge and experience with Microsoft Word, Excel Spreadsheets, Windows, databases, graphs and the ability to write reports and correspondence by using proficient grammar, spelling and punctuation
• Enthusiasm for working as a member of a team in a rapidly changing environment
• Willingness to educate patients and the community about oral healthcare and the role of the dental care team
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and prioritize them to provide appropriate, efficient, and quality patient care
• Excellent customer service skills and ability to interact with unsatisfied patients and coworkers effectively and respectfully
• Skill in establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with patients, coworkers, and the public
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills
• Ability to evaluate statistics and data and make appropriate recommendations
• Ability to work under pressure
• Excellent organizational skills
• Ability to work independently and use good judgment
• Must be able to document in a neat, legible manner and be able to spell dental terminology correctly
• Effective and efficient time management
• Ability to accurately document procedures in electronic record
• Ability to follow written policies and procedures
• Knowledge of standard office machines including copier, fax, multi-line phones, printers, scanners, etc
• Arrives to work on time
• Attire is clean and neat
• Maintains good personal hygiene
• Driving company and maintaining company vehicle

Education and Experience

1. High school diploma or equivalent is required
2. Graduation from a certified RDH program
3. Current Kansas License
4. Prefer at least one year experience
5. Must have and maintain CPR certification
6. Social and cultural sensitivity appropriate to ethnically and economically diverse participant and employee base 

Details

• This position is required to work every Saturday at Panda Pediatrics, from 8:00AM - 12:00PM
  
  • Hours are approximate and may be altered by supervisor(s) as needed