Dental Hygienist

• Job Title: Dental Hygienist
• Salary: $48 - $55 per hour, DOE
• Location: Garden Grove, CA
• Full Time (1) Opening Available

Position Purpose

Under the supervision of a Dentist, the Dental Hygienist is responsible for providing preventive oral health care and patient education to support overall dental health.

This role focuses on performing professional dental hygiene services, including oral assessments, prophylaxis, scaling, root planing, sealant application, and fluoride treatments, while ensuring compliance with clinical and safety standards.

The Dental Hygienist also plays an important role in educating patients about proper oral hygiene practices, supporting treatment acceptance, and promoting positive patient experience.

By working collaboratively with providers, dental assistants, and front-office staff, the Dental Hygienist helps improve patient outcomes, satisfaction, and the efficiency of dental services.

FTOC’s Expectations of All Employees

• Adheres to all FTOC Policies and Procedures.
• Providing the upmost customer service experience to all clients
• Conducts self in a manner that always represents FTOC’s core values.
• Maintains a positive and respectful attitude with all work-related contacts.
• Communicates regularly with immediate supervisor about Departmental and FTOC concerns.
• Consistently reports to work as scheduled and in a timely manner prepared to perform the duties of the position.
• Meets productivity standards and performs duties as workload necessitates.
• Ability to train on all Learning Management Systems (LMS) by self-learning models from FTOC’s EMR.

• Core Duties and responsibilities, include but are not limited to:
• 1. Prepare treatment room for patient by adhering to prescribed procedures and protocols
• 2. Prepare patient for dental hygiene treatment by welcoming, soothing, seating, and draping patient
• 3. Provide information to patients and employees by answering questions and requests
• 4. Maintain instrumentation for dental hygiene treatment by sharpening, sterilizing, and selecting instruments
• 5. Select materials and equipment for dental hygiene visit by evaluating patient's oral health
• 6. Perform dental prophylaxis, scaling, root planing, and periodontal maintenance
• 7. Detect disease by completing oral cancer screening; feeling and visually examining gums; using probes to locate periodontal disease and to assess levels of recession; exposing and developing radiographic studies
• 8. Take and process dental radiographs in accordance with safety guidelines
• 9. Administer local anesthesia and nitrous oxide (if licensed and permitted by state law)
• 10. Arrest dental decay by applying fluorides and other cavity- preventing agents

11. Maintain patient appearance and ability to masticate by fabricating temporary restorations; cleaning and polishing removable appliances; placing, carving, and finishing amalgam restorations; removing cement from crowns and bridges

12. Help the dentist manage dental and medical emergencies by maintaining cpr certification, emergency drugs and oxygen supply, and directory of emergency numbers

• 13. Educate patients by giving oral hygiene and plaque control instructions and postoperative
• 14. instructions; providing reminders of time of next dental hygiene visit
• 15. Follow OSHA, CDC, and HIPAA guidelines to maintain infection control and patient confidentiality
• 16. Documents dental hygiene services by recording vital signs and medical and dental histories; charting in patient records
• 17. Maintain patient confidence and protects operations by keeping information confidential
• 18. Maintain safe and clean working environment by complying with procedures, rules, and regulations
• 19. Protect patients and employees by adhering to infection-control policies and protocols

20. Ensure operation of dental equipment by completing preventive maintenance requirements; following manufacturer's instructions; troubleshooting malfunctions; calling for repairs; maintaining equipment inventories; evaluating new equipment and techniques

21. Maintain dental supplies inventory by checking stock to determine inventory level; anticipating needed supplies; placing and expediting orders for supplies; verifying receipt of supplies

• 22. Conserve dental resources by using equipment and supplies as needed to accomplish job results
• 23. Maintain professional and technical knowledge by attending educational workshops; reviewing professional publications; establishing personal networks; participating in professional societies
• 24. Contribute to team effort by accomplishing related results as needed
• 25. Assist with patient flow, scheduling adjustments, and clinic productivity goals
• 26. Work closely with dentists, dental assistants, and front desk staff to ensure coordinated patient care

*This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee. He or she will be required to follow any other instructions and to perform other duties, within scope, as assigned by his or her supervisor.

Requirements

Teamwork and Interpersonal Skills

• Displays an awareness of others' needs and consistently acts in their best interests.
• Exhibits courtesy, mutual respect, and compassion in all interactions with others.
• Takes initiative to propose constructive solutions to challenges.
• Recognizes and respects differences while actively seeking more effective communication approaches.
• Demonstrates a positive and professional response to changes and challenges.
• Nurtures positive working relationships and contributes to a collaborative work environment.
• Exhibits effective teamwork, working cohesively to support the organization in achieving its goals and objectives.
• Adapts smoothly to shifting workplace priorities.
• Attends and actively participates in scheduled meetings, whether weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly.

Education, Qualifications, and Experience

• Completion of a Dental Hygienist Course at an accredited college or university
• Current Dental Hygienist License, X-ray license, CPR Card, and coronal polishing certification.
• Prior 3 years of work experience
• Must be able to perform each duty satisfactorily
• May require an Associate's degree or its equivalent and is licensed as a dental hygienist, typically reports to a dentist
• Certification and/or licensing in the position's specialty is the main requirement
• Outstanding oral and written communication skills, ability to work effectively with children and adults
• Bilingual Spanish preferred
• Excellent communications and public speaking skills, and the ability to represent FTOC to a broad public
• Results-oriented, adept at planning, prioritizing, organizing, and following through
• Able to work with children.

Work Schedule

• FTOC is an in-person organization first, and foremost. Employees are expected to be on-site for their scheduled shifts.
• Hours of operation are Monday to Friday 8 a. m. to 8 p. m., however, employee schedules vary, depending on organizational, staffing, community, and patient needs. As such, FTOC may need to modify work schedules to meet such needs.
• Holidays and weekends may be required depending on an employee’s department due to organizational, staffing, community, and patient needs as FTOC continues to grow and expand work days and hours.
• Overtime may also occur due to organizational, staffing, community, and patient needs.

Work Location

• While employees may be assigned a primary site (Tustin, Garden Grove, Fountain Valley, Wellness Center, Mobile Units, Golden Circle, Magnolia, Telehealth, etc.), employees may be required to temporarily fill in at another site based on organizational, staffing, community, and patient needs.

Travel Requirements

• Occasional travel will be required. Employees must be able to travel to FTOC sites as needed, including with short notice.

Physical Demands and Working Conditions

• 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. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee may be required to drive to FTOC facilities as needed. The ability to sit for extended periods of time, and the ability to occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.