Dental Hygienist

Summary/Objectives

The Dental Hygienist works independently of or alongside dentists and other dental professionals to provide full oral healthcare. The Hygienist has a specific scope of responsibilities in order to offer patient-specific preventative and educational services to promote and maintain good oral health.

The major role of the Dental Hygienist is to perform periodontal therapy which includes periodontal debridement, prophylaxis (preventing disease) or periodontal maintenance procedures for patient with periodontal disease.

Essential Functions

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

1. Check hygiene room for cleanliness; make necessary changes.

2. Check and turn on hygiene room equipment.

3. Clean hygiene room at the end of the day; turn off equipment.

4. Maintain hygiene equipment (prophy jet, ultrasonic).

5. Submit supply orders as necessary.

6. Work with receptionist to schedule hygiene patients with efficiency.

7. Review patient charts before scheduled appointments.

8. Carefully review patient medical and dental history forms and update as necessary.

9. Accurately chart each patient’s periodontal health.

10. Records observations from hard tissue exam.

11. Records observations from oral cancer screening exam.

12. Provide thorough and gentle prophylaxis to patients.

13. Perform scaling, root planning and selective polishing for designated patients.

14. Provide radiographs for patients as prescribed by dentist.

15. Sharpen instruments.

16. Provide patient education and give home care instructions.

17. Communicate with patients in an understandable and professional way.

18. Check on patient comfort during treatment; help ally patient anxiety.

19. Take accurate notes on the provided treatment.

20. Record treatment needs at doctor exam.

21. Ensure completion of treatment records.

22. Enter treatment in computer.

23. Record new patient treatment plans.

24. Perform other tasks assigned by dentist or help other team members as needed.

25. Present return visit dates to Dental Receptionist for scheduling purposes.

26. Properly discard all disposable items from each visit.

27. Clean treatment room surfaces with disinfectant solution.

28. Process instruments in ultrasonic cleaner tank.

29. Package instruments for proper sterilization.

30. Load, activate and vent the sterilization unit according to the manufacturer’s directions.

31. Store instruments and trays in appropriate places.

32. Comply with OSHA regulations and recommendations.

Competency (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities)

1. Follow protocols for a wide variety of procedures and duties.

2. Dental terminology and common laboratory and dental procedures.

3 Knowledge of HIPPA and ability to maintain patient confidentiality.

4. Ability to consistently carry out universal precaution and biohazard handling.

5. Basic life support to respond to life-threatening situations like heat attacks or choking.

6. Ability to maintain effective and organized systems to ensure timely patient flow.

7. Maintain a high standard of courtesy, ethics and cooperation in dealing with a diverse group of co-workers, patients and visitors.

8. Think critically and perform duties during emergency situations.

Supervisory Responsibilities

This position has no supervisory responsibilities.

Work Environment

In the working environment of the clinic there may be potential exposure to communicable diseases, contaminated blood and body fluids and hazardous materials or substances. Dental Hygienist are subject to electrical, radiant energy, and processor chemistry hazards. Dental Hygienist are exposed to restorative materials that may pose certain health risks.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Dental Hygienist must be able to work seated for several hours at a time to provide clinical services to patients.

Occasionally Dental Hygienist must be able to crouch to operate equipment and stock supplies, perform repetitive motions to enter computer data to manually debride teeth, grasp to hold instruments, pull to move equipment or supplies that can weigh as much as 50 pounds.

Frequently Dental Hygienist must be able to push to move portable equipment with 20 pounds of force, lift to move boxes of supplies, use fingers to enter computer data and use dental instruments.

Constantly Dental Hygienist must be able to stoop to assist patient in and out of chairs, reach to manipulate standard and portable equipment, stand while observing demonstrations, walk to transport instruments and supplies, feel to perceive attributes of patients and objects such as when performing intraoral and extraoral examination, to use assessment instruments to detect hard deposits on teeth; to evaluate deposit removal; to use restorative instruments.

Dental Hygienist must be able to speak clearly and concisely with patients, co-workers, and dentists and physicians using standard medical terminology. Hear to perceive the nature of sounds at normal range.

Read and interpret directions from supervisor, prepare written documents using standard medical/dental terminology. Dental Hygienist are required to use computer terminals, visual assessment and evaluation of radiographs, visual assessment of oral tissues and reading assessment instruments. Work with printed and/or written documentation.

Position Type and Expected Hours of Work

This is a full-time position working 28 hours per week. Days and hours of work are scheduled during Monday through Friday, 8:00 a. m. to 5:00 p. m. Occasional evening and weekend work may be required as job duties demand.

Travel: No travel is expected for this position.

Required Education and Experience

Registered Dental Hygienist with either an Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Dental Hygiene from an accredited college or university. One year of dental hygiene experience.

Preferred Education and Experience

N/A.

Additional Eligibility Qualifications (licensure, certification):

State of Florida Dental Hygiene License.

EEO Statement

It always has been and continues to be Barnabas’s policy that employees should be able to enjoy a work environment free from all forms of unlawful employment discrimination.

All decisions regarding recruiting, hiring, promotion, assignment, training, termination, and other terms and conditions of employment will be made without unlawful discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, age, pregnancy, disability, work-related injury, covered veteran status, political ideology, genetic information, marital status, or any other factor that the law protects from employment discrimination. Individuals will be selected for promotion based on skill and merit.

Additionally, Barnabas prohibits unlawful harassment of its employees, applicants, or independent contractors in any form. Complaints of unlawful employment discrimination or harassment should be reported as defined below.

In cases where investigation confirms the allegations, appropriate corrective action will be taken, regardless of whether the inappropriate conduct rises to the level of any violation of law.

No employee will suffer retaliation for reporting, in good faith, any violation of Company policy or unlawful discrimination, harassment, or retaliation.

Other Duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.