Dental Hygienist

Summary: Reporting to the Dental Treatment Coordinator, this position uses established dental hygiene protocols and procedures to provide professional, high-quality dental care and education to a broad range of patients. Provides high-quality dental hygiene within the scope of service consistent with accepted standards of care. Reviews and interprets patient dental records. Promotes the mission and philosophy of providing quality health care and related services to the medically underserved. Ensures compliance with all corporate and clinical policies and procedures, as well as the mission and values of the organization.

Primary Responsibilities:
• Evaluates patients and implements treatment regimens under the supervision of the Dentist. Provides complete documentation of all findings, treatments and outcomes.
• Initiates oral health education and prevention activities.
• Assesses dental conditions and risk, uses patient screening procedures, including medical history review, dental charting and perio-charting; takes patient vital signs as required.
• Documents history of chief complaint; records and reports pertinent observations and patient reactions to dental staff, as appropriate; documents lab procedures and ensure follow-up on result.
• Delivers comp P.O.E., and performs scale root plan, limited and prophys.
• Assists with or institutes emergency measures for sudden adverse development during treatment of patients.
• Participates in Quality Improvement activities as requested by the Dental Director.
• Assists with patient intake, transfer or discharge process, as required.
• Performs routine cleaning and maintenance of dental equipment in assigned operatories.
• Uses downtime to clean and sterilize instruments and restock operatories.
• Ensures all actions, job performance, personal conduct and communications represent the organization in a highly professional manner at all times.
• Maintains a commitment to the achievement of quality healthcare services by maintaining patient rights, safety, privacy, confidentiality and excellent customer service philosophy.
• Performs other duties as requested.

Essential Job Functions:
The demands described below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. The employee in this position must be able to perform the essential job functions of the position satisfactorily and, if requested, reasonable accommodations will be made to enable an employee with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job, absent undue hardship.

• Maintain body equilibrium to prevent falling when walking, standing or crouching; ability to repeatedly bend body downward and forward by bending spine at the waist for up to ten hours per day.
• Ability to detect specific noises and proper equi
• Ability to detect specific noises and proper equipment operation, detect and understand what coworkers/patients are saying in normal conversation and communicate with individuals utilizing the telephone by displaying the ability to hear and speak clearly.
• Ability to maintain a stationary position for 25% of the time.
• Ability to converse clearly with patients, co-workers and the general public using the English language. Must be able to understand, adhere to and communicate routine, factual information and apply oral and written instructions or other information, in a timely manner.
• Capable of physically transporting items weighing 5 to 25 pounds.
• Use upper extremities to press against something with steady force in order to thrust forward, downward, or upward for up to ten hours per day.
• Substantial movements of the wrists, hands, shoulders and/or fingers for sustained periods of time.
• Must have the visual acuity to accurately detect and read computer screens, distinguish color coding, and discern fine print and/or normal type size print.
• Capable of meeting attendance requirements.
• Ability to move about the facility to greet and room patients, access supplies, and other duties that require movement on foot for prolonged periods of time.
• Constantly operates a computer, office equipment and/or other dental equipment to collect and monitor patient data, report patient data and patient needs. Has the ability to pick, pinch, type or otherwise work primarily with fingers rather than with the whole arm.
• Possess the cognitive ability to add, subtract, multiply, divide and to record, balance and check for results for accuracy.
• Capable of communicating effectively and politely with co-workers, patients and the general public; able to compose letters, emails and basic reports and/or orally communicate medical information.

Job Requirements:
Education:
• Registered dental hygienist (RDH) from an accredited program with a current license to
practice in the state of Michigan
Experience:
• 1 Year
• Appropriate CEUs as required to maintain licensure and stay abreast of advances in dental hygiene practice.
Skills:
• Basic data entry skills, basic typing, filing, organizational skills.
• Ability to handle workload in stress filled environment without producing errors.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required:
• Knowledge of patient care charts and patient histories.
• Knowledge of patient evaluation and triage procedures.
• Knowledge safety, environmental, and/or infection control methods.
• Knowledge of HIPAA regulations and compliance requirements.
• Knowledge of computer systems and applications, such as Microsoft Office 365
Certificate/License:
• MI License, required
• CPR