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REGISTERED DENTAL ASSISTANT

The Registered Dental Assistant provides assistance to the Dentist(s) and Dental Hygienist in the direct provision of primary care dental services to patients. Serves as dentist’s or dental hygienists chair-side assistant, prepares operatory for patient treatment, exposes and develops dental radiographs, assures that all patient records and documents are properly and accurately documented in the dental record, and participates in appropriate health promotion/disease prevention activities, both on-site and off-site as required. The Registered Dental Assistant is also responsible for sterilization, preparation, inventory, and infection control of dental instruments and supplies. 

Job Duties

  1. Observes appropriate and required personal protective equipment PPE.
     

  2. Assist the dentist at the chair while they are engaged in any treatment of patients
     

  3. Must anticipate dentist's needs and be prepared for next steps
     

  4. Ensure all OSHA, Dental Board, and company policies and procedures are properly followed
     

  5. Maintain proper patient treatment records
     

  6. Ability to take Blood Pressure
     

  7. Give pre and post-operative instructions - within the limits designated by the dentist
     

  8. Provide oral hygiene instructions to the patient- within the limits designated by the dentist
     

  9. Turn on all units, switches, and water before patient sits down
     

  10. Stocks supplies in operatories, restrooms, lab, etc. as needed
     

  11. Informs supervisor when supplies need to be re-ordered
     

  12. Informs supervisor of broken or malfunctioning equipment
     

  13. Performs all duties of a Sterilizer when deemed necessary
     

  14. Ability to build good rapport with patients and staff

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

  1. Follow all OSHA and safety guidelines regarding digital/x-ray protocols
     

  2. Prepare patient, sterilize and disinfect instruments, set up instrument trays, prepare materials, and assist dentist during dental procedures.
     

  3. Expose dental diagnostic x-rays.
     

  4. Record treatment information in patient records – as designated
     

  5. Take and record medical and dental histories and vital signs of patients.
     

  6. Provide postoperative instructions prescribed by dentist.
     

  7. Assist dentist in management of medical and dental emergencies – as designated
     

  8. Translate for doctor Spanish/English
     

  9. Answer phone calls, schedule appointments.
     

  10. Problem solving and conflict resolution
     

  11. Informs supervisor when supplies need to be re-ordered
     

  12. Informs supervisor of broken or malfunctioning equipment
     

  13. Performs all duties of a Sterilizer when deemed necessary
     

  14. Ability to build good rapport with patients and staff
     

  15. Problem solving and conflict resolution
     

  16. Customer service
     

  17. Bilingual (English-Spanish) preferred.
     

  18. Effective oral and written skills, general report writing skills.
     

  19. General dental terminology and standard abbreviations used in dental notations.
     

  20. Telephone courtesy; customer-service oriented.
     

  21. Modern office practices and procedures including email.
     

  22. Intermediate to expert user computer skills.
     

  23. Highly organized.
     

  24. Attention to detail and excellent follow-through on work tasks.
     

  25. Demonstrated good problem-solving skills.
     

  26. Able to track multiple tasks and complete promptly
     

  27. Able to quickly build and maintain rapport with patients and providers of differing backgrounds; team player

Required Education and Experience

​Registered dental assistants with state licensure or certification may be allowed to perform a broader range of functions than other dental assistants. These expanded functions, outlined by each state, may include taking X-rays, removing sutures and dressings, polishing patients' teeth, taking impressions, giving fluoride treatments and administering topical medications.
 

  1. High School diploma or GED
     

  2. RDA credential; State License or Certification
     

  3. Registered dental assistant graduate from a program accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA)
     

  4. 2-3 years’ experience in clinical settings/FQHC (preferred)
     

  5. Bilingual (Spanish speaking)
     

  6. Current BLS/CPR certification

Competencies

  1. Communication
     

  2. Ethical Practice
     

  3. Global & Cultural Awareness

Supervisory Responsibility:

This position has no direct supervisory responsibilities.

Work Environment:

This job operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely communicates verbally and on a face to face basis with others.

Typical Physical Demands:

Requires standing/walking for up to 30% to 60% at a time, sitting for up to 30% to 60% at a time, lifting and carrying 0% to 20% at a time, lifting or carrying of up to 40 pounds 0% to 5% at a time, reaching 30% to 70 % at a time, bending and stooping 30% to 80 % at a time, squatting/crouching 5% to 15 % at a time, handling/grasping 25% to 80% at a time.

Other Duties:

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for their job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Travel

Travel is primarily locally during the business day.

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