Dental Hygienist (PRN)

General Job Description:

Dental Hygienist Job Responsibilities:

• Promotes dental health by completing dental prophylaxis, providing oral cancer screening and radiographic studies, charting conditions of decay and disease, and performing procedures in compliance with the Dental Practice Act.
• Prepares treatment room for patient by adhering to prescribed procedures and protocols.
• Prepares patient for dental hygiene treatment by welcoming, soothing, seating, and draping patient.
• Provides information to patients and employees by answering questions and requests.
• Maintains instrumentation for dental hygiene treatment by sharpening, sterilizing, and selecting instruments.
• Select materials and equipment for dental hygiene visit by evaluating patient’s oral health.
• Completes dental prophylaxis by cleaning deposits and stains from teeth and from beneath gum margins.
• Detect disease by completing oral cancer screening; feeling and visually examining gums, using probes to locate periodontal disease and to assess levels of recession and exposing and developing radiographic studies.
• Arrests dental decay by applying fluorides and other cavity- preventing agents.
• Maintains patient appearance and ability to masticate by fabricating temporary restorations, cleaning, and polishing removable appliances.
• Helps dentist manage dental and medical emergencies by maintaining CPR certification, emergency drugs and oxygen supply, and directory of emergency numbers.
• Educate patients by giving oral hygiene and plaque control instructions and postoperative instructions and providing reminders of time of next dental hygiene visit.
• Documents dental hygiene services by recording vital signs and medical and dental histories and charting in patient records.
• Maintains patient confidence and protects operations by keeping confidential information.
• Maintains a safe and clean working environment by complying with procedures, rules, and regulations.
• Protects patients and employees by adhering to infection-control policies and protocols.
• Ensures operation of dental equipment by completing preventive maintenance requirements, following manufacturer’s instructions, troubleshooting malfunctions, and calling for repairs, maintaining equipment inventories, and evaluating new equipment and techniques.
• Maintains dental supplies inventory by checking stock to determine inventory level, anticipating needed supplies, placing and expediting orders for supplies, and verifying receipt of supplies.
• Conserves dental resources by using equipment and supplies as needed to accomplish job results.