Dental Assistant-Lead

To supervise and instruct various clinical personnel in assisting dental residents and/or faculty with the examination, delivery, and maintenance of oral healthcare. To maintain dental equipment and supplies and to ensure the proper disposal of chemicals and biohazard materials in accordance with established protocols, procedures, policies, and standards.

Education and Experience Required:

High School Diploma/GED and two (2) years of dental assistant experience.

Certifications, Licenses, or Registration required:

Dental Assistant Radiology Permit from the Mississippi State Board of Dental Examiners. Basic Life Support from the American Heart Association or CPR from the American Red Cross or the American Heart Association required post-hire within 30 days.

Preferred Qualifications:

Graduate of an Accredited American Dental Association (ADA) Dental Assistant program.

Knowledge of dental procedures, sterile procedures, and radiation safety standards and protocols. Verbal and written communication skills. Ability to set up and prepare dental equipment and instrumentation. Ability to develop and process dental radiographs. Ability to perform basic supervisory and computer functions. Ability to train and motivate students.

Responsibilities:

• Provides chairside assistance to the dentist and/or dental hygienist during the performance of dental procedures.
• Prepares patients, sterilizes and disinfects instruments, sets up instrument trays, prepares materials, and completes orders.
• Supervises, schedules, monitors, and evaluates the performance of first and second level dental assistants, as well as other clinical and dispensary personnel.
• Instructs students in the principles of four-handed dentistry, dental assistant utilization, radiographic techniques, and the operation and maintenance of radiographic and laboratory equipment.
• Processes radiographs and oversees, monitors, and maintains supplies and dental equipment, including compressors, evacuator systems, radiographic developing equipment, sterilizers, light-curing equipment, and other laboratory equipment. Works with property officers to track clinical equipment.
• Ensure compliance with safety and infection-control standards.
• The duties listed are general in nature and are examples of the duties and responsibilities performed and are not meant to be construed as exclusive or all-inclusive. Management retains the right to add or change duties at any time.

Physical and Environmental Demands:

Requires frequent exposure to unpleasant or disagreeable physical environment such as high noise level and exposure to heat and cold, frequent handling or working with potentially dangerous equipment, frequent exposure to biohazardous conditions such as risk of radiation exposure, blood borne pathogens, fumes or airborne particles, and/or toxic or caustic chemicals which mandate attention to safety considerations, occasional activities subject to significant volume changes of a seasonal/clinical nature, constant work produced subject to precise measures of quantity and quality, frequent bending, occasional lifting and carrying up to 25 pounds, frequent crouching/stooping, occasional kneeling, occasional pushing/pulling, constant reaching, constant sitting, frequent standing, frequent twisting, and occasional walking. (occasional-up to 20%, frequent-from 21% to 50%, constant-51% or more)

Time Type: Full time

FLSA Designation/Job Exempt: No

Pay Class: Hourly

FTE %: 100

Work Shift: Day