POSITION TITLE: Registered Dental Hygienist
RESPONSIBLE TO: Dental Director
FLSA STATUS: Full time – Exempt, Part time – Non-Exempt
APPPLY HERE: https://www.vfhc.org/
Qualifications:
- Graduate from an accredited Dental Hygiene program.
- Have a current license in the states of Idaho and Oregon.
- Be CPR Certified.
- Be licensed according to state laws to administer Nitrous Oxide.
- Be licensed according to state laws to administer local anesthesia.
Responsibilities:
- Work with patients to conduct dental and medical histories.
- Conduct oral exams of the hard and soft tissues of the mouth.
- Notify the dentist of questionable areas on the hard or soft tissue.
- Evaluate plaque accumulation, calculus accumulation, bleeding upon probing.
- Perform scaling and root planning, curettage, oral prophylaxis and topical fluoride treatment.
- Place sealants.
- Provide patient education regarding oral hygiene problems (i.e. rampant decay, diet, periodontal disease, smoking cessation, OHI tools, and all other aspects of dentistry related to hygiene/preventive issues).
- Check and maintains clinical equipment and instruments.
- Take x-rays and assist the dentist when necessary.
- Sharpen and sterilize instruments.
- Help assistants in their duties as necessary and as time allows.
- Administer and monitor patients on Nitrous Oxide.
- Maintain OSHA records and evaluate overall cleanliness of the facility.
- Oversee chart reviews quarterly.
- Participate on committees as needed.
- Take Continuing Dental Education courses required to maintain current licensure in Idaho and Oregon.
- Assist with meeting quality measures by completing tasks related to VFHC initiatives.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
Health Education and Program Planning:
- Act as community advocate.
- Prepare dental education material such as slides, pamphlets, CD’s and present and distribute these to schools, community groups, day cares, and other interested parties.
- Schedule and conduct in-service dental health programs.
- Perform training on infection control to employees on a yearly basis and keep attendance.
- Develop and plan dental health surveys and use the results to evaluate effectiveness.
- Keeps inventory of dental supplies and education materials.
- Develop and evaluate programs to meet the needs of the community.
- Provide dental screening as often as population increases and time allows.
- Coordinate programs for school children to do education, prophylaxis, fluoride and sealants.
Complexity and Demands:
- Be willing to provide a position of leadership to accomplish the Community Health Service Mission of VFHC Dental Team.
- Deliver a broad range of Dental services to the entire population.
- Understand the complexity of the bilingual/bicultural clinic.
- Adhere to all clinic and administrative protocols set forth by the Dental Director and CEO.
- Willingly attend and participate in all-staff and committee meetings as required or assigned by the CEO or Dental Director.
Administrative Guidelines:
- VFHC Dental Policy and Procedures Manual.
- VFHC Employee Handbook.
- Idaho and Oregon State Dental Practice Acts.
- NHSC and USPHS guidelines.
Physical Requirements:
- Be able to lift without adverse effects weights up to 25 pounds.
- Be able to endure long periods of standing, sitting, bending or stooping.
- Have correctable vision and hearing.
- Be able to read, write and speak clearly.
- Possess the appropriate manual dexterity to perform successfully the duties described within this Job Description "Dental Hygienist".
Environmental conditions:
The VFHC Dental Clinic work environment is much like that of a typical dental office where the risk of exposure to strong bright light, a high decibel level, ionizing radiation, and blood borne pathogens can and do exist.