Summary: The Dentist provides quality oral health care services to children and adults, emphasizing the prevention and treatment of disease. The Dentist is responsible for the delivery of dental care within legal parameters established by the Illinois Dental Practice Act at all Heartland Health Centers’ (HHC) dental sites and performs screening exams within HHC community and school health centers. The Dentist is responsible for maintaining safety, productivity and documentation standards as established by the Clinical Director of Oral Health and the organization. The dentist oversees the patient care related activities of one or more Dental Assistants in conjunction with the Dental Supervisor of Oral Health. 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: 

• Provides clinically indicated and culturally competent oral health care to patients of all ages.
• Prescribes a variety of treatment modalities to meet preventative oral health and disease requirements.
• Collaborates with physicians and dental auxiliaries to assure that oral health instruction and counseling is provided.
• Manages and evaluates the plan of care, engages patient and/or their families in understanding the process, and expected outcomes. Modifies plan as needed.
• Documents comprehensive and accurate data on patients' records according to organization standards.
• Coordinates services in conjunction with other team members to meet patient's oral health care needs, and to ensure the continuity of care.
• Practices within legal and ethical guidelines established by the Dental Practice Act, the Dentist Code of Ethics and HHC’s Philosophy of Care.
• Adheres to professional standards as outlined by governmental bodies, the American Dental Association, private funding sources and HHC guidelines.
• Participates in periodic evaluative reviews and/or in-house and external staff training.
• Meets productivity standards established for staff dentists.
• Participates in Oral Health Quality Improvement activities and Peer Review.
• Assumes the responsibility for maintaining competence in clinical practice by participating in appropriate educational activities in order to maintain and increase competence, license and certifications.

Competencies: To perform the job successfully, an individual should demonstrate the following competencies. 

• Ethics - Treats people with respect; Keeps commitments; inspires the trust of others; Works with integrity and ethically; Upholds organizational values
• Customer Service - Manages difficult or emotional situations; Responds promptly to customer needs; Solicits customer feedback to improve service; Responds to requests for service and assistance; Meets commitments.
• Visionary Leadership - Displays passion and optimism; Inspires respect and trust; mobilizes others to fulfill the vision; Provides vision and inspiration to peers and subordinates.
• Managing People - Makes self available to staff; Solicits and applies customer feedback (internal and external); Fosters quality focus in others; Improves processes, products and services. Provides recognition for results.
• Organizational Support - Follows policies and procedures; Completes administrative tasks correctly and on time; supports organization's goals and values; Benefits organization through outside activities; Supports affirmative action and respects diversity.
• Professionalism - Approaches others in a tactful manner; Reacts well under pressure; Treats others with respect and consideration regardless of their status or position; Accepts responsibility for own actions; Follows through on commitments.

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 essential functions. 

Education and/or Experience:

• DDS or DMD degree from an accredited dental school. 
• Previous public health dentistry experience preferred.

Certificates, Licenses, Registration:

• IL Dental License, IL Controlled Substance license and DEA License

Language/Communications Requirements: 

• English/Spanish bilingual proficiency preferred.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills. 
• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations.
• Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals.
• Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the general public.

Mathematical Skills: 

• Ability to work with mathematical concepts such as probability and statistical inference, and fundamentals of plane and solid geometry and trigonometry.
• Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations.

Reasoning Ability:

• Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. 
• Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.

Other Skills and Qualifications:

• Ability to use computers to receive, organize, prioritize and transit information.
• Experience in Microsoft Office – including Outlook, Word and Excel.
• Compliance with organization policies and procedures.
• Excellent customer service skills and resourcefulness in problem-solving and managing priorities.
• Capacity to work effectively as part of a team required.
• Ability to interact with diverse groups of people of various disciplines and educational levels required.
• Familiarity with community healthcare delivery preferred.