Dental Hygienist

Job Summary

The Dental Hygienist is responsible for providing professional oral health and maintenance to program participants.

Essential Duties and Primary Responsibilities

• Prepares treatment room for patient by adhering to prescribed procedures and protocols.
• Prepares patient for dental hygiene treatment by welcoming and preparing patient.
• Provides information to patients and employees by answering questions and requests.
• Maintains instrumentation for dental hygiene treatment by sharpening, sterilizing, and selecting instruments.
• Selects 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.
• Detects disease by completing oral cancer screening; feeling and visually examining gums; using probes to locate periodontal disease and to assess levels of recession; exposing and developing radiographic studies.
• Arsents dental decay by applying fluorides and other cavity-preventing agents.
• Helps dentist manage dental and medical emergencies by maintaining CPR certification, emergency drugs and oxygen supply, and directory of emergency numbers.
• Educates patients by giving oral hygiene and plaque control instructions and postoperative instructions; providing reminders of time of next dental hygiene visit.
• Documents dental hygiene services by recording vital signs and medical and dental histories; charting in patient records.
• Maintains patient confidence and protects operations by keeping information confidential.
• Maintains 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.
• Maintains dental supplies inventory by checking stock to determine inventory level; anticipating needed supplies; placing and expediting orders for supplies; verifying receipt of supplies.

Qualifications

• Education/Experience: Must be a licensed and registered Dental Hygienist in the State of Florida. One to three years of related experience with proficiency in Microsoft Office and other database applications.