Lead Dental Assistant

Job Summary 

Advanced Responsibility Dental Assistant Role in which individual is responsible for coordinating clinical operations to ensure assigned dentist’s practice or dental program efficiency, as well as for the clinical dental assisting duties listed in Florida Statutes 466 and Administrative Rules 64B-5, including but not limited to screening and preparing patients for treatment, assisting providers in treating patients, educating patients, and processing instruments, with adherence to HIPAA, CDC, and OSHA standards.  Team member is involved in continual training and educating next generations of dental providers and patients.  Scope of practice includes clinical dental setting, mobile unit, school-based programs, health fairs, and medical dental integration program, as needed. Tasks include the scope of sterilization technician and dental assistant 1 & 2 with additional responsibilities as assigned by supervisor, including Dental Practice Manager, assigned dentist and Dental Director. 

Qualifications and Requirements 

• Education and Training: 

• High School diploma or GED required. 

• Dental Assistant Diploma or Certificate of Completion from an Accredited Dental Assistant school or training program, including dental radiology, is required. 

• Successful completion of an Expanded Functions Dental Assistant Certificate (EFDA) required. 

• Current BLS certificate from an accredited AHA or American Red Cross provider required. 

• Minimum three (3) years of dental assistant experience required. 

• Nitrous Oxide Analgesia Certification is required.  

• Must have a valid Florida Driver’s license and reliable form of transportation. 

• Behavioral Management: Experience working with children and comfortable working with patients of all ages preferred. 

• Cultural Competency:  Experience dealing with underserved populations and ability to relate to patients of all religions, ethnical and cultural backgrounds required. 

• Excellent Communication Skills: Must have good people skills and communicate following the HFHC Core Values. Must be able to coordinate care as a member of the dental assistant team. 

• Excellent Emotional Intelligence and Adaptability: Must be able to stay positive in stressful situations and deal professionally with unhappy, fearful, and confrontational individuals. 

• Adherence to Policy and Procedures: Must have a good working knowledge of dental terminology, dental policies & procedures, and oral health issues. As part of the role, team member must exemplify and model the organizational and department professional code of conduct. 

• Excellent Time Management Skills: Must be able to organize and prioritize workload.  

• Manual Dexterity for the utilization of specialized equipment, i.e. prophylaxis slow speed handpiece. 

• Competent in General Office Skills such as computers (Microsoft Office products, EHR i.e. eCW), faxes, telephones, and copy machines.  

• Bilingual a plus:  Spanish speaker preferred. 

Essential Functions 

• Performs tasks within the scope of practice of as an Expanded Functions Dental Assistant, including but not limited to: 

• Identify patients using Double Identifiers – i.e., name and birth date.  

• Document patients’ chief complaints in their patient’s own words. 

• Collects and records medical history, list of medications and allergies, surgeries, hospitalization, and social/dental history record. 

• Obtain and record in medical record patient vitals, including blood pressure, pulse, temperature, and or glucose levels (when applicable), height, and weight as needed. 

• Operates dental X-ray equipment and takes diagnostic dental X-rays as prescribed by the dentist.  

• Handle dental instruments, including cleaning/oiling, bagging, sterilization/disinfection, and re-circulation following OSHA and CDC standards. 

• Assists in educating patients and parents/guardians regarding oral hygiene, treatment options and plans, dental consent and provides witness signatures prior to specialty procedures.  

• Assist the dentist through 4-handed dentistry, including suction, handling dental materials, and transferring instruments.  

• Assists in the monitoring of Nitrous Oxide Analgesia administration by the dentist. 

• Performs operatory disinfection before and after dental procedures. 

• Records accurate dental charting of existing restorations, new dental caries, and planned restorations. 

• Records periodontal charting as needed for patients >18 years of age.  

• Assists the dentist in completion of dental exam and procedure documentation and closes procedure codes at the end of each visit. 

• Presents treatment plans prepared by the dentist and obtains patient and/or parent signatures.  

• Performs preventative dental treatment including but not limited to clinical crown polishing, tooth flossing, sealant, and fluoride placement as delegated by the supervising dentist. 

• Provide patient education, including oral hygiene and post-operative instructions. 

• Prepares, scans, and or faxes referral, medical clearance, and other forms as needed. 

• Monitors the provider schedule and assures scheduling of all appointment slot per template. 

• Presents treatment plans prepared by the dentist and obtains patient and/or parent signatures. 

• Explains consent forms and obtains patient and/or parent signatures. 

• Provide patient education, including oral hygiene and post-operative instructions. 

• Prepares, scans, and or faxes referral, medical clearance, and other forms as needed. 

• Proactively participates in patient care to ensure office efficiency and productivity by assisting in patient scheduling. 

• Flexible to work with various providers and dental assistants as needed. 

• Performs post-op phone calls. 

Collaborates with other dental assistants to ensure completion of the following office maintenance tasks:  

• Maintains proper inventory by monitoring material supply, instrument and equipment function and availability, and removing expired materials and damaged instruments. 

• Places supply orders and organizes dental supplies. 

• Ensures completion of Maintenance Log Manuals as directed by the office manager and the dentist. 

• Performs and/or oversees Autoclave and Ultrasonic equipment maintenance and utilization logs. 

• Monitors AED battery and pad expiration, logs status, and orders replacement (if present within Dental Department). 

• Oversees Dental Lab order submission, case receipt, and associated tracking logs. 

• Monitors Nitrous Oxide and Oxygen supply, contacts vendor, as needed, for re-order, and ensures associated log completion. 

• Monitors Amalgam Separator, changes filter, and sends out for proper disposal.   

• Oversees Waterline Preventative Maintenance Through quarterly shock treatments.  

• Ensures dental water line daily water treatment and filtration, as well as quarterly water line testing. 

• Schedules Dental equipment maintenance and repair, coordinate part purchase, and monitors repair process.  

• Ensures biohazard and sharps container maintenance, as well as staff adherence with sharps protocol. 

• Maintains dental equipment by changing filters, solutions, or chemicals following manufacturer’s recommendations, and cleans dental equipment in accordance with OSHA and CDC standards. 

• Performs all sterilization and infection control procedures and ensures staff adherence with clinical protocols in accordance with HRSA, CDC and OSHA standards. 

• Maintains open communication and collaboration with dental vendors. 

• Coordinates other programs and tasks as directed by DPM and or supervising dentist. 

• Serves as a liaison between front office, administrative, and the clinical team: 

• Monitors assigned providers weekly schedule to ensure productivity and communicates scheduling needs to Patient Service Representatives and/or Dental Practice Manager. 

• Reviews dental provider schedules for no-shows, cancellations, and reschedules. 

• Completes Pre-Visit Review Notes. 

• Relays patient and staff opportunities to assigned dentist and DPM. 

• Proactively participates in patient care to maximize office production by practicing excellent organization skills, time management, and personal accountability. 

• Ensures office efficiency through coordinating patient care for the dental office. 

• Assists DPM and PSR in filling cancellation appointments through promoting waitlists. 

• Performs on-boarding process and training of new staff, including volunteers, dental assistants, dental hygienists, dental students, and residents as directed by Dental Practice Manager. 

• Actively promotes and supports the positive image of the Dental Department and HFHC Inc. as a representative of the organization in-house and in the community. 

• Performs tasks in the scope of the Sterilization Technician, Dental Assistant 1, Dental Assistant 2, and Patient Service Representative. 

• Serves as a role model employee and support system for the dental assisting team.   

• Team member is expected to be the first one in the office and the last one out of the office.  

• Models TACT, AIDET, time management, customer service, and proactive productivity. 

• Gathers dental assistant concerns and questions and communicates effectively with leadership and supervisors. 

• Participates in and helps organize after hours and weekend HFHC events. 

• Participates in and helps coordinate department projects and programs such as SBP, MDI etc.   

• May be required to travel to other HFHC locations as needed. 

• Assists with other clinical and office duties as assigned by Assigned (Supervising) dentist and Dental Practice Manager. 

• Not a supervisory role. 

Physical Requirements 

• Must be able to lift up to 50 pounds. 

• Must be able to stand or sit chairside for extended periods of time. 

• Must have manual dexterity to allow for the handling of specialized dental equipment. 

• Must have clear vision to allow inspection of instruments for cleanliness, residue or defects.