Dental Assistant - Intern (48094)

Dilkon Medical Center | Winslow Indian Health Care Career Page; Winslow (AZ); On-site; USD 32,000 - 44,000; Full time

Job summary

Winslow Indian Health Care Center is hiring an Entry-level Dental Assistant Intern to support the dental team and train on the job.

The role is based at the Winslow, AZ dental program with occasional travel to Leupp, Dilkon, and Mobile Van locations. Candidates should have a High School Diploma and be ready to learn chairside procedures under supervision.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required and basic dental assisting exposure.
• Ability to use Microsoft Office and email for patient data coordination.
• Shadowing or observing dental assisting for at least 20 hours with a written note.

Responsibilities

• Assist dentist at chairside during routine and complex dental procedures.
• Learn radiology basics and radiographic skills through training.
• Receive, route and schedule patients and manage chart data.
• Maintain clinic cleanliness and proper instrument handling and sterilization.

Skills

Dental assisting experience

Chairside assistance

Communication

Education

High school diploma

Tools

Dentrix Enterprise

Job description

Job Details

Level: Entry, Job Location: Winslow Indian Health Care Center - Winslow, AZ 86047, Position Type: Full-Time, Education Level: High School Diploma, Travel Percentage: Occasionally, Job Shift: Day, Under general supervision/guidance/instruction of the Lead Dental Assistants and/or Deputy Chief, this position is for the Dental Assistant Intern. The purpose of this position is to support the Dental Team by having a transitionary position to allow for on-the-job training for an individual without previous dental assisting experience or training. Upholds the principles of WIHCC’s Vision, Mission, and Value Statements. Maintains confidentiality of all privileged information at all times.

This position allows the Dental Team to have an avenue to hire and train dental assistants in order to better serve the WIHCC dental patient population. The hope is that this individual will transfer to a full-time dental assistant position.

This position is located at the Winslow Indian Health Care Center, Inc. Dental Program and the position requires the Dental Assistant Intern to travel satellite clinics: Leupp, Dilkon, and Mobile Van.

This list of duties and responsibilities is illustrative only of the tasks performed by this position and is not all-inclusive.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

The intern will learn dental assistant duties at chair side while the Dentist performs a full range of professional dental treatment of commonly encountered dental disease or dental health problems requiring standard corrective, restorative, or preventive measures. The things the intern will need to learn and become proficient with include:

• Performing chairside assistance in all phases of dental treatment including restorative, prosthodontic, surgical, endodontic and periodontal treatments, which encompass all routine dental procedures.
• Studying and passing the IHS radiology exam as well as learning proper radiographic skills utilizing the DXTTR mannequin.
• Studying and learning the proper four handed dental assisting technique
• Studying and learning how to identify all of the dental instruments used within our dental clinics.
• Learning proper sterilization techniques as well as cleaning, packaging, and sterilizing all dental instruments and ensuring proper storage.
• Learning how to receive and route patients, and schedule appointments.
• Accurately recording all required data into the patient’s chart using Office Management (Dentrix Enterprise), as relayed by Dentist and accurately retrieve and file dental charts.
• Learning how to complete dental laboratory work orders in compliance with dentist’s instructions.
• Learning how to take dental impressions and make proper dental models.
• Learning routine dental laboratory procedures trimming models, constructing custom trays, fabricating base plates and bite rims.
• Learning to become responsible for keeping the clinic operatories well supplied and requisitioning dental supplies and equipment.
• Learning how to relay to patient post treatment instructions, motivating and instructing patients in proper brushing and flossing techniques, care of prosthodontic appliances and give.
• Learning information regarding common causes of tooth decay.
• Helping to maintain the dental clinic in a clean and orderly manner.
• Learning how to place rubber dam isolation as directed by the Dentist.
• Maintaining communication through the Lead Dental Assistants to resolve concerns.

Other duties and responsibilities

• Maintaining regular attendance and punctuality.
• Requires completion of tasks or duties assigned by a supervisor.
• Upholds all principles of confidentiality and patient care to the fullest extent.
• Adheres to all professional and ethical behavior standards of the healthcare industry.
• Adheres to WIHCCs Personnel Policies and Procedures, departmental policies, rules, and regulations.
• Interacts in an honest, trustworthy and dependable manner with patients, employees, visitors, and vendors.
• Possesses cultural awareness and sensitivity.
• Maintains compliance with all Human Resources requirements.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications: Minimum Qualifications

High school diploma or GED required. Computer literacy required: proficient in using Microsoft Office, proficient in email communication, able to browse the internet effectively, and able to demonstrate basic cybersecurity knowledge. The intern must have shadowed dental assisting or applicable profession for a minimum of 20 hours and must be able to demonstrate this in writing. A letter from a dental clinic professional stating that the incumbent has spent 20 hours observing and shadowing at the clinic is required.

Knowledge of and sensitivity to cultural and language differences. Excellent interpersonal skills in handling interactions of staff, school administrators, students, patients and families. Must be able to work as a Team Member and develop productive and cooperative working relationship with health care providers within the facility as well as school staff.

Bilingual skills in English and Navajo language preferred. Must maintain a valid unrestricted and insurable driver’s license. Must successfully pass a background investigation and maintain suitable requirements for a Child Care position. This position is considered as a Child Care position, which requires a satisfactory background check investigation and is subject to the requirements of the Indian Child Protection and Family Violence Prevention Act, as amended (henceforth referred as the ICPFVP Act).

Knowledge, Skills, Ability

• Able to demonstrate one year of basic Dental assisting experience.
• Must be able to receive, route and schedule patients.
• Must use proper PPE.
• Knowledgeable to ordering dental supplies and restocking clinic areas, to keep clinic well applied and to perform laboratory procedures necessary for smooth operation of the clinic.
• Have knowledge of dental terminology for proper recording of dental treatment in Dentrix.
• Knowledge of all instruments used in routine dental procedures for restorative, prosthodontic, oral surgical, endodontic and periodontal treatment.
• Ability to efficiently perform chairside techniques in all phase of dentistry.
• Knowledge of dental anatomy and operating dental radiographic equipment.
• Ability to explain to patient, post-operative instructions, preventive techniques and care instructions.
• Knowledge of patient management mobilization procedures.
• Knowledge of strong work ethics in the workplace.
• Knowledge of basic application of confidentiality.
• Knowledge of duties and responsibilities of the position.
• Knowledge of basic computer skills, e.g. Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint.
• Ability to be dependable in attendance and job performance.
• Ability to meet attendance, overtime (if necessary), and other reliability requirements of the job.
• Ability to accept and learn from feedback.
• Ability to effectively communicate both in written and verbal.
• Ability to provide exemplary customer service at all times.
• Ability to interact positively with others and possess great interpersonal skills.
• Ability to multitask and perform well under pressure.
• Ability to have self-confidence.
• Ability to be a great team player.
• Ability to accept and learn from supervisor/peer critique.
• Ability to be flexible and adaptable to the changing needs of the organization.

Physical Demands

While performing the essential functions of this position, the employee is regularly required to walk, sit, use hands and fingers, handle, or feel objects and equipment, reach with hands and arms, and communicate effectively by talking and hearing. The employee frequently must stand, climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl and may occasionally use taste or smell. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move objects weighing up to 50 pounds.

Work Environment

Work is performed in an office setting or outdoor work environment with moderate noise levels. Work environment may involve exposure to physical risks, such as blood borne pathogens, hazardous chemicals, or operating potential dangerous equipment, and requires adherence to all safety protocols. Required work schedules may include evening, weekend, overnight shifts, extended hours, or irregular schedules as operational needs dictate.

As required by P.L. 93-638, absolute preference will be given to qualified Navajo applicants. If there is no qualified Navajo applicant, preference will be given to qualified American Indian applicants.