Dental Assistant

JOB SUMMARY

Tepeyac understands that treatment of the whole person includes medical, behavioral health and dental care. All three are needed to achieve the utmost quality care and coordination for patients. Dental decay is the number one chronic disease in children that is 100% preventable —5 times more common than asthma, 4 times more common than early- childhood obesity, and 20 times more common than diabetes. Decay can affect speech and communication, eating and dietary nutrition, sleeping, learning, playing and quality of life, missed school and/or work for patients of all ages.

BENEFITS

Tepeyac offers a full compensation package to all full-time employees. Benefits include medical, dental and vision insurance, a flexible spending account, a 401k, disability insurance paid by Tepeyac, eight paid holidays, four weeks of vacation and over eight days of sick leave each year.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Assist the dentist in providing routine, preventative and emergency dental care, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of patients in a clinical setting.
• Assure daily completion of dental clinic operations to include, but not limited to, scheduling, tool control, chemical control, infection control practices, biohazardous waste, hazardous materials and radiation control, and exposure regulations.
• Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:
• Obtain digital x-rays
• Set up restorative procedure and place temporary restorations under dentist’s direction
• Educate patients’ about preventative dental care, including making appointments and confirmation calls
• Sterilize instruments and equipment
• Dispose of medical contaminated waste
• Interpret and radiation safety and infection control guidelines and regulations to fit individual circumstances
• Maintain inventory levels of supplies and chemicals, prioritizing usage based on expiration dates and re-ordering as needed
• Ensure safety and security by maintaining a controlled environment for tools, chemicals, and supplies
• Maintain cleanliness of dental clinic
• Triage urgency of dental requests for treatment, gather information, consult with dental provider and schedule appropriately
• Perform and log autoclave spore strip testing as per dental service standards
• May be required to participate in school and community outreach dental visits.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Minimum Education & Experience: High school diploma or GED required. Completion of dental assistant program. May substitute for one year of the required experience.
• Minimum Experience: One or more years’ experience dental assisting preferred required.
• Oral and written fluency in English and oral fluency in Spanish required.
• X-ray certification per state requirements
• Training/understanding of tooth anatomy, tooth numbers, procedures, and procedure complications

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES

• Flexible and adaptable. Willing to jump in where needed.
• Ability to flourish in a team-oriented care model ;strong teambuilding skills.
• Excellent communication and listening skills. Creative and positive approach to communication and problem solving.
• Organized, able to multi-task, prioritize work and stay focused in a busy clinic setting.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with individuals of diverse races, ethnicities, ages ,and sexual orientations in a multicultural environment; strong initiative and the passion to advocate and provide healthcare to the underserved.

OTHER DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Attend required internal meetings, trainings, and events.
• Other duties as assigned.