UNIV - Dental Assistant IV, WAMP - College of Dental Medicine

About the role

This position provides clinical assistance and support to multi-specialty faculty providers in all aspects of patient care within the College of Dental Medicine clinics.

Responsibilities

• Performs chairside assisting with four handed dentistry techniques for faculty providers as they treat patients.
• Responsible for updating patient information in and utilizing the Electronic Health Record as needed for patient care.
• Responsible for setting up operatory for dental and surgical procedures.
• Maintain a high level of knowledge of all clinical procedures and instrumentation to ensure rooms are set up accurately.
• Break down and clean operatory after procedures are complete.
• Maintain and sterilize all dental instruments and equipment.
• Follow all infection control policies and protocols set forth by MUSC, CDM and the clinic manager.
• Maintain safe and clean working environment by complying with OSHA’s procedures, rules and regulations.
• Acquire or assist in acquiring all necessary radiographs (i.e. periapical, panoramic, cephalometric, and 3-D imagery, intra oral scans, etc.) while adhering to all x-ray safety standards.
• Assist with all areas of patient care including transport/assistance to and from the waiting area as well as monitoring surgical patients to ensure their safety after receiving anesthesia.
• Maintain patient confidence and privacy by keeping information confidential.
• Maintains dental supplies and inventory by checking stock to determine inventory level, anticipating needed supplies, placing and expediting orders for supplies and verifying receipt of supplies.
• Ensures instruments and supplies are maintained and stocked in dental operatories and other areas of the clinic.
• Provides administrative support in the clinic to include maintaining MSDS notebook, reporting equipment problems and filling out exposure and incident forms.
• Contribute to the team effort by assisting in other clinics and by accomplishing related duties as needed as well as any other duties as directed by the clinic manager/supervisor.

Requirements

• A high school diploma, completion of formal training in an ADA accredited dental assisting course and one year of dental assisting experience OR a high school diploma and three continuous years of dental assisting experience.
• Certification in Radiation Safety required for positions responsible for dental x-rays.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to perform job functions while standing.
• Ability to perform job functions while sitting.
• Ability to perform job functions while walking.
• Ability to climb stairs.
• Ability to work indoors.
• Ability to work from elevated areas.
• Ability to work in confined/cramped spaces.
• Ability to perform job functions from kneeling positions.
• Ability to bend at the waist.
• Ability to twist at the waist.
• Ability to squat and perform job functions.
• Ability to perform 'pinching' operations.
• Ability to fully use both hands/arms.
• Ability to perform repetitive motions with hands/wrists/elbows and shoulders.
• Ability to fully use both legs.
• Ability to reach in all directions.
• Ability to match or discriminate between colors.
• Ability to determine distance/relationship between objects; depth perception.
• Possess good finger dexterity.
• Ability to maintain tactile sensory functions.
• Ability to maintain good olfactory sensory function.
• Ability to lift and carry 50# , unassisted.
• Ability to lift/carry patients to 350# (+/-), assisted.
• Ability to lift objects from floor level to height of 36 inches, to 50#, unassisted.
• Ability to lower objects, to 50#, from height of 36 inches, unassisted.
• Ability to push/pull objects to 350#(+/-), unassisted.
• Ability to maintain 20/40 vision, corrected.
• Ability to see and recognize objects close at hand.
• Ability to see and recognize objects at a distance.
• Ability to match or discriminate between colors.
• Ability to determine distance/relationship between objects; depth perception.
• Good peripheral vision capabilities.
• Ability to maintain hearing acuity, with correction.
• Ability to hear and understand whispered conversations at a distance of 3 feet.
• Ability to perform gross motor functions with frequent fine motor movements.
• Ability to be qualified physically (by medical personnel) for respirator use, initially and annually.