Dental Assistant - School-based

Community Health Center of Snohomish County offers competitive wages and a comprehensive benefits package designed to address health, time off, retirement and career-advancement needs.

Benefits

• Health insurance (medical, dental, vision)
• Up to 120 hours of vacation time pro-rated by FTE every 12 months
• Paid sick leave
• 10 paid holidays
• 403(b) Safe Harbor retirement plan with employer match
• Disability and life insurance
• $0.75/hour for those who test proficiently in a second language

Responsibilities

• Operate as an effective team member with dental clinic care providers and other front and back-office support staff
• Provide quality dental treatment support, four-handed dentistry, oral health education, instrument repair and sterilization, facilities and equipment maintenance, and supply inventory and purchasing
• Support in non-traditional locations, such as schools, and with portable dental equipment
• Travel between community partner sites and Community Health Center clinics
• Flexible shifts, including potential for evening and weekend events
• Float between sites during school holidays and non-student days
• Effectively work with school-age children around their healthcare needs
• Work with portable equipment and in non-traditional locations, including safely operating a CHC vehicle to transport equipment and instruments
• Maintain relationships with community partners
• Greet patients, interpreters, and visitors in person and by phone; respond to inquiries, take messages, and provide accurate information regarding schedules and services
• Assist patients in completing necessary forms, including consent forms, verifying insurance, and completing patient check-in
• Provide pre- and post-operative instructions, answer questions, or refer them to the dentist as appropriate
• Work in tandem with reception staff in managing interpretive services
• Assist dentists in determining dental problems and offering oral health education
• Assist dentists with timely delivery of accurate and complete fee slips to receptionist for every patient encounter
• Monitor schedules and patient arrivals, participate in sequencing patients, and provide assistance to co-workers to maintain smooth and efficient patient flow
• Perform all dental treatment procedures allowable by Dental Assistants under Washington State Law
• Perform radiographic surveys as prescribed by the dentists (expose, develop, mount, and label films)
• Assist dentists chairside using four-handed dentistry techniques
• Open and close operatories, keep them fully stocked, organized, and safe
• Reprocess operatories and instruments following each patient encounter
• Prepare appropriate instruments and materials for each treatment procedure
• Maintain current knowledge of dental materials, procedures, oral hygiene, sterilization/disinfection, and mobile equipment
• Follow inventory management and supply monitoring protocols
• Perform routine cleaning, disinfection, sterilization, maintenance, and repair of instruments and equipment
• Perform duties of a Dental Receptionist as needed and assist with other departments when called upon
• Collaborate with internal staff to coordinate clinic and outreach schedules and coverage
• Adhere to organizational infection control practices and attendance standards

Requirements

• Flexibility to work in a non-traditional dental setting with portable dental equipment
• Proficient in reading, speaking, understanding, and writing English
• Ability to work independently and be self-directed
• Effective teamwork skills
• Ability to organize, prioritize, and coordinate multiple activities and tasks
• Works with initiative, energy, and effectiveness in a fast-paced environment
• Problem-solving with creativity and ingenuity
• Remains calm and effective in high-pressure and emergency situations
• Knowledge of dental terminology
• Proficiency in using multi-line telephones and other office machines
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Outlook)
• High school graduate or equivalent
• Graduate of a Dental Assisting program, or a foreign-trained dentist with at least one year of experience as a dental assistant, or a Dental Assistant with at least 500 hours of patient care time within the past 12 months and verifiable on-the-job training in a dental practice
• Dental Assistant registration with the State of Washington
• Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers (CPR/AED) certification
• Driver's license with the State of Washington
• Motor vehicle insurance liability policy, certificate of deposit, or liability bond to required limits
• Acceptable driving record for auto liability coverage through Community Health Center of Snohomish County
• At least 21 years of age
• Verified immunity to measles, mumps, rubella (MMR), and varicella (chickenpox) through vaccination records or titer results

Qualifications

• Customer service-related experience working with the general public (1 year)
• Dental assistant experience (1 year)
• Preferred: Bilingual skills
• Preferred: Experience in a multiple provider dental practice
• Preferred: Digital imaging familiarity
• Preferred: CDT-5 coding experience
• Preferred: Experience with healthcare information systems, such as electronic health record and practice management systems
• Preferred: Experience working with low-income, multi-ethnic populations and patients of all ages
• Preferred: Familiarity with federally qualified health centers or FQHC “look alikes”
• Preferred: Dental Assistant certification by the Dental Assisting National Review Board (DANB)