Dental Assistant: Hands-On Care & Purpose-Driven Impact

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; Somerset Township (PA); On-site; USD 33,000 - 41,000; Full time

Job summary

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s State Correctional Institution Somerset is seeking a Dental Assistant to work with a Dentist, providing chairside support, preparing materials, and handling dental records. You’ll gain hands-on clinical experience while contributing to inmate health and facility safety.

This full‑time role emphasizes patient care, tool handling, and documentation in a corrections setting. Position requires RHS exam, one year of dental office experience or an accredited certificate,

Qualifications

• One year of experience in a dental office or clinic, or
• Successful completion of an accredited Dental Assisting certificate program, or
• Equivalent combination of experience and training.

Responsibilities

• Provide chairside assistance during dental procedures with suction, irrigation, and drying techniques.
• Prepare tools and sterilize equipment; set up the workspace for procedures.
• Expose, process, mount, and evaluate patient radiographs for diagnosis.
• Take dental impressions and prepare casts for study models or appliances.
• Schedule appointments and maintain dental records according to policy.
• Explain preventive care steps and post-procedural instructions to patients.

Skills

Chairside assistance

Workspace prep

Radiograph processing

Impression handling

Record management

Patient education

Education

Accredited Dental Assisting certificate program

Tools

X-ray equipment

Job description

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s State Correctional Institution Somerset is seeking a Dental Assistant to work with a Dentist, providing chairside support, preparing materials, and handling dental records. You’ll gain hands-on clinical experience while contributing to inmate health and facility safety.

This full‑time role emphasizes patient care, tool handling, and documentation in a corrections setting. Position requires RHS exam, one year of dental office experience or an accredited certificate,