Dental Assistant

Job Description

About Company

Heritage Health is a healthcare organization located in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. They are committed to enhancing lives every day and fostering a fun and supportive team environment. Heritage Health emphasizes a balanced lifestyle for its employees, ensuring no weekends or holidays. They prioritize collaborative care to achieve the best patient outcomes and offer competitive pay. The organization maintains a strong safety culture, where all employees are responsible for upholding and developing a safe working environment.

Job Description, Detailed

Job Title: Dental Assistant

Employment Type: The job description states both “full-time (1.0 FTE)” and a “PRN, as needed with no guaranteed hours” schedule. This indicates a flexible, on-call role despite the initial “full-time” designation.

Why Join Heritage Health:
• Passionate Purpose: Dedicated to enhancing lives daily.
• Unmatched Support: Committed to a fun and supportive team environment.
• Balanced Lifestyle: No weekends or holidays, promoting a healthy work-life balance.
• Collaborative Care: Work with a dedicated team for optimal patient outcomes.
• Exceptional Rewards: Competitive pay is offered.

Schedule:
• PRN (Pro Re Nata): As needed, with no guaranteed hours.
• Requires providing availability and/or being available to fill in on short notice.
• Demands a flexible schedule, including potential short-notice requests.

Role Summary:
The Dental Assistant supports the daily operations of the dental clinic by assisting dentists and dental hygienists in delivering high-quality, patient-centered care. This role is vital for enhancing the patient experience and ensuring the efficiency of the dental department. The assistant will be a key contributor to a positive, welcoming environment, embodying Heritage Health’s commitment to excellence. Integration into existing workflows and adherence to clinic protocols with minimal guidance are expected, as is staying updated on essential trainings and policy changes. Responding to all shift requests or schedule inquiries is mandatory, even if unavailable.

Key Responsibilities (Essential Duties):
• Patient Care & Support:
• Welcome and prepare patients for treatment, explaining procedures and ensuring their comfort.
• Obtain patient vitals and update medical history, highlighting significant information for the dentist.
• Educate patients on oral hygiene, post-treatment care, and preventative measures as instructed.
• Ensure accurate patient documentation including health history, consent forms, treatment plans, progress notes, and referrals under dentist supervision.
• Chairside Assisting:
• Prepare for and assist dentists or dental hygienists during various dental procedures using four-handed practices chairside.
• Take diagnostic intraoral x-rays, and may perform complex or specialized radiography under direct supervision.
• Record existing restorations and enter/treatment plan decay and other pathoses as diagnosed by the dentist.
• Clinic Operations & Maintenance:
• Apply knowledge of proper technique for all dental procedures and materials.
• Ensure dental tools, equipment, and treatment areas are properly sterilized/sanitized and maintained according to health and safety standards.
• Assist with ordering and maintaining dental supplies and equipment, ensuring stock and good condition.
• Practice universal precautions and follow infection control procedures.
• Assist the Dental Sterilization Technician, Dental Hygienists, and Dentists as needed.
• Administrative Duties (May Include):
• Scheduling appointments.
• Confirming patient visits.
• Handling patient inquiries.
• Compliance & Professionalism:
• Maintain familiarity with and compliance with all Heritage Health policies and procedures, OSHA, HIPAA, and state regulations.
• Attend and actively participate in all required meetings and in-services.
• Promote positive interpersonal relationships with colleagues, dentists, and patients.
• Regular and predictable attendance is essential.
• Certified Procedures (under Idaho State Law and dentist supervision): This role includes performing specific procedures such as rubber dam placement/removal, retraction cord placement/removal, placing temporary restorations, placing/removing matrix band and wedge, pit and fissure sealants, coronal polish and fluoride application, application of silver diamine fluoride, suture removal, administration of nitrous oxide, and fabrication of temporary crowns.
• Perform miscellaneous job-related duties as assigned.

Requirements:
• Certifications: BLS certification is required or must be obtained within 90 days of hire.
• Education/Training (Preferred): Completion of an accredited dental assistant program, or completion of an externship or federally registered apprenticeship program is preferred.
• Experience:
• Required: Previous experience as a dental assistant, with a minimum of 1 year.
• Preferred: Experience with Dentrix Enterprise and Dexis.

Success Factors (Desired Skills & Attributes):
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Detail-oriented with excellent organizational and time management abilities.
• Capable of managing multiple tasks simultaneously without compromising quality or accuracy.
• Possesses knowledge of dental procedures, terminology, and equipment.
• Ability to strictly follow safety and infection control protocols.
• Strong ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team.

Working Conditions:
• Environment: Typically an interior/dental clinic work environment within a medical and dental clinic building.
• Demands: Work can be demanding and chaotic at times.
• Exposure: Potential exposure to patients presenting a variety of contagious diseases, physical injuries, and diverse emotional states.
• Physical/Mental Requirements: Requires prolonged periods of standing and working on a computer. May involve lifting up to 15 pounds at times. Must be able to access and navigate various departments, complete tasks in noisy or stressful environments, and adhere strictly to process protocols.

Safety: Heritage Health maintains a robust safety culture, expecting all employees to continuously develop and maintain a safe working environment. Employees are responsible for completing all training requirements, participating in emergency response tasks, serving on safety committees as requested, adhering to all instructions, promptly reporting/correcting hazards, and providing feedback on safety issues.