Sterilization Tech/Dental Assistant – FT

Job Responsibilities

• Brings patient back for dental appointment in a timely manner.
• Enter/updates patient health history and medication at each appointment to ensure all information is current.
• Completes patient intake at each appointment ensuring all information is gathered and entered correctly.
• Obtains signatures on dental consents for N20, Rct, Ext, Crown, Dentures/partial or any other consent needed for treatment.
• Maintains dental lab work area and completes lab work from start to finish. (When applicable, pours up models immediately, completes lab work order, make certain that the lab case is sent to the proper laboratory and follows up with the patient’s next appointment.)
• Track lab items to ensure items are returned from the outside labs in timely manner and are scheduled in timely manner or items that have a step to accomplish in internal lab are completed so patient may be scheduled for next visit.
• Reviews treatment plan and fee’s for treatment that require lab cost and review with the patient their estimated fee.
• Processes and develops clear diagnostic radiographs.
• Charts existing restorations on all new patients and updates watches, treatment and dental charting for comp and periodic exam to include updating provider if needed.
• Informs dentist of notable items/events/changes to patient’s oral health, medication list, medical history changes, etc.
• Accurately documents and creates treatment plans and goes over treatment and cost with the patient or parent/guardian.
• After a child’s appointment is completed takes the child to the parent and goes over what happened during that procedure as well as reviews any dental treatment that is still needed.
• Accurately creates and documents all information pertaining to the appointment in Open Dental and Expanse to include pain level and smoking status with few corrections.
• All dental notes are completed in Open Dental before leaving each day to allow the provider to review and sign in a timely manner.
• Maintains high level of infection control through appropriate use of infection control barriers, appropriate clothing, avoiding cross contamination of sterile/disinfected with non -sterile/non disinfected, and follows OCHC policies on sterilization and disinfection.
• Ensures set up (to include appropriate instruments, air/water syringe, low/high speed suction, infection control barriers, etc) for patient visit is complete before seating patient
• Maintains a full component of supplies in operatories at all times
• At all times safely and efficiently operates equipment and other processing devices including but not limited to radiographic equipment (IE Nomad/Pano/ScanX/Phosphor plates/Etc), Autoclave, Statim, Ultrasonic, Lathe, curing lights, suction devices, hand pieces, vacuum, operatory units-air/water/power. And notifies provider or administrative lead of any issues promptly.
• Safely and efficiently operates the nitrous/oxygen portable unit where applicable and replaces N2o and o2 when empty as well as reports to manager/lead assistant to order more.
• Ensures a full component of supplies is maintained in the clinic/operatories and notifies office manager of any additional or new need, as well as pulls tags when stocking operatories and placing in the order box to ensure the low supplies gets re-ordered
• Works well with other dental staff members as a team, watches all chairs at all time to jump in and helping turn over rooms, setup rooms, as well as pulling back patients, getting the intake completed and/or xrays to help out other staff.
• Wears radiation badge at all times and monthly updates badge using Instadose reading on the Ipad.
• Accurately documents and creates all referrals per Provider instruction ensuring their insurance is accepted and all x-rays are taken that are required and current.
• Ensure all clearance letters, pre-medication or any other documentation needed are in patients chart and documented appropriately in Open Dental before appointments.
• Ensure all follow up calls to patients, other clinics or medical providers are completed in a timely manner and documented.
• Willingly travels to other dental locations in the area to fill in, assist or attend meetings.
• Attends and actively participates in morning huddles, monthly and annual trainings.
• Consistently maintains the operations of the Central Sterile Room and to ensure all instruments are caught up at all times.
• Consistently assists in the breakdown of each operatory after procedures to include proper sterilization and ensuring there is no cross contamination.
• Ensures all orders are correct by using the packing slip and the invoice slip to compare items and to check off the items received to ensure we receive everything we ordered. Notifies clinic manager of items that have not been received or issues with packing slip vs invoice.
• Assists in pulling expired items in opertatories, lab and sterlization and disposes of the items according to OCHC policy.
• Ensure monthly maintenance of assigned equipment is done each month and documented.
• Every months pulls sterilization packages to ensure no holes or punctures in the bags and wipes down the area to ensure no dust is present.
• Wears face mask and/or shield at all times when cleaning operatories, instruments, etc.
• Every 6 months cleans shelving where supplies are kept to ensure dust is removed and clean (July/December).