260 - Dental Assistant

Position Overview: The Dental Assistant contributes to Morris Heights Health Center’s continued success by passionately promoting the center’s culture, mission, vision and values.  This Job Description identifies the major responsibilities of the dental assistant under the direct supervision of a licensed dentist. The Dental Assistant is a highly effective member that works collaboratively with the dental care team to optimize effective patient flow by completing documentation, preliminary medical/dental history, taking of vital signs, and taking radiographs to be reviewed by a licensed dentist; to ensure patient’s safety by disinfecting the patient room and processing all instruments in accordance with established Infection Control Protocol, taking radiographs following ALARA (as low as reasonably achievable) guidelines; and to maximize efficiency by setting instruments, preparing materials, performing four-handed dentistry, assisting at chairside, and by performing dental supportive services as authorized by a licensed dentist.

Job Responsibilities

• Prepares patient for treatment by seating patient, obtaining records and applying protective garb
• Help patients feel comfortable before, during and after dental treatment.
• Always demonstrates excellent customer service and professionalism.
• Sets up chairside instruments, materials and medicaments to be used
• Taking dental radiographs in accordance with Radiology Policy
• Disinfection of all treatment rooms and processing all instruments in accordance with established Infection Control Protocol

• Documentation in logbooks as needed.
• In patient room set up and break down, uses established protective barrier policy and procedure.
• Performs routine maintenance of equipment
• Performs water line testing and maintain logbook
• Performs solely mechanical work on inert matter, e.g. trimming or pouring impressions taken by the dentist
• Prepares lab scripts for cases, documents outgoing and incoming cases in logbook, stores all cases in designated area.
• Can assist in four-handed dentistry
• Assists the dentist during procedures including passing instruments, getting supplies and using the suction tube to keep the patient’s mouth dry.
• Enters patient information (chief complaints, charting, LNA, medication list, etc) to be reviewed by the dentist.
• Takes preliminary medical/dental history including the measuring and recording of vital signs, temperature, pain, and blood pressure as needed for dental patients to be reviewed by the dentist.
• Participates in departmental and center-wide meetings as needed
• Follows all safety/infection control guidelines of MHHC (Morris Heights Health Center); OSHA; NYS; NYC; the Joint Commission, or other regulatory bodies
• Performs other department-related tasks as needed
• Flexibility of work schedule and sites, includes early, late and Saturday hours.
• Rotation to all dental facilities for coverage as needed
• Rotation of all assignment and tasks as directed.
• Support Providers in patient care to cover when patient care extends past regular shift.
• Must attend daily briefing
• Must check emails daily.
• All and any multi-disciplinary initiatives

Education & Training: High school graduate or GED, graduation from dental assisting school or equivalent training.

Certificates, Licenses, & Registration: Certificate of completion of an accredited dental assistant training program. An experienced dental assistant lacking a certificate of completion from an accredited training program, may be hired with the requirement to enroll and graduate with a certificate. From the date of hire, a one-year period is provided for a dental assistant to obtain certification and fulfill the requirement for hire.Current BLS (CPR) certification from an accredited organization such as the AHA.

Experience: One year experience as a dental assistant with experience taking radiographs on patients of all ages is preferred or the equivalent combination of experience and education. 

Interpersonal & Communication Skill: Good interpersonal skills. Ability to work with patients, dentists and other dental staff under a variety of conditions.

Reasoning & Problem-Solving Abilities: Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral or diagram form. Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations.

Language & Literacy Skill: Ability to read and comprehend simple instructions, short correspondence, and memos. Ability to write simple correspondence. Ability to effectively present information in one-on-one and small group situations to customers, clients and other employees of the organization.

Mathematical & Analytical Skills: Ability to add, subtract, multiply and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, fractions and decimals.

Technical & Systems: Basic computer skills, including use of a keyboard and mouse

Physical & Environmental Requirements: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to sit; use hands to finger, handle or feel; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl; and taste or smell. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

Salary : $24 - $27