Dental Assistant

Position Function Summary

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Receives patients and prepares them for dental procedures, both physically and emotionally; interviews and conducts preliminary assessment and triage of patients to determine reasons for visit, obtains dental health history and checks appropriate vitals, records data on clients EMR chart;
• Assists dentists in usual and customary procedures, including four (4) handed dentistry; providing dentists with all instruments and general materials used for procedures;
• Exposes, processes, and mounts X-rays both digitally and manually;
• Under the direction of a dentist, takes and makes dental impressions;
• Prepares cases for lab including filling out lab slip and coordination with lab for pick up/delivery;
• Prepares instruments for sterilization and storage in trays; cleans and prepares equipment and examination rooms for patients and cleans rooms after each encounter and as needed; sterilizes, cleans, wraps, labels and autoclaves instruments, consistent with protocols;
• Maintains re-stocking supplies for each exam room and treatment rooms;
• Assists La Familia Medical Center (LFMC) patient education efforts, making available and distributing patient information and literature related to dental health promotion/disease prevention for all patient age categories;
• Maintains patient files in a timely and accurate manner by updating information pertaining to medication refills, laboratory reports/results, patient dental visits, and other patient data/information required by LFMC providers and protocols;
• Assists with conducting patient case management tasks and patient discharge plans to include patient referrals, prescription refills, and schedules specialty appointments; submits paperwork to the Patient Services Representative or other appropriate staff person;
• Trains and/or oversees student dental assistants.

Education, Experience, and Skills

• High School graduate or GED certificate required. Graduation from an CODA recognized certificate program is preferred with appropriate degree and/or certification such as Dental Assistant program and active NM State License. Three months related experience is preferred; or any equivalent combination of experience, training and/or education approved by Human Resources.
• State of New Mexico certification in Dental Assistant radiology (6 months to obtain once employed); Including, but not limited to, coronal polishing, fluoride treatment and sealant certifications, or other Dental Assistant certifications are preferred. (may possess up to four (4)).
• CPR is required
• Working knowledge of four (4) handed dentistry and instrument preparation, sterilization and storage techniques;
• LFMC required training including, but not limited to: basic Annual Safety, Bloodborne Pathogen, Infectious Control, HIPAA Training.
• This position requires a basic knowledge of clinical procedures in order to prepare patients for their examination.
• Ability to use a multi-line telephone, a computer, to multiple tasks within established deadlines, to work under the direction of a provider and follow instructions for work completion, and to take the initiative to resolve patient concerns and problems.
• Ability to read and interpret medical documents and records, write at a moderate level of competence, communicate effectively.
• Preferred fluent in both English and Spanish.

• Three (3) weeks of annual leave.
• up to two (2) weeks of annual sick leave
• eight (8) paid holidays
• three (3) paid personal days

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision

• Pet

• ID Theft

• paid term life insurance
• paid short term disability
• optional life
• critical care
• medical and dependent care expense accounts
• health savings account