Licensed Dental Hygienist

DENTAL HYGIENIST: Reports to: Practice manager PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES: Responsible for providing hygiene treatment to patients SPECIFIC DUTIES: Patient management: Greet patients with they sign in and monitor arrival time Review patient health and dental history and update as necessary Perform thorough and gentle prophylaxis for patients Perform scaling for patients as appropriate Administer local anesthetics Take radiographs of patients as prescribed by dentist Apply cavity-preventative agents, such as fluorides and sealants Communicate with patients in an understandable and professional way Check on patient comfort during treatment and help allay patient anxiety Accurately and appropriately record provided treatment Teach proper oral hygiene techniques to patients Counsel patients on oral health, including the role of nutrition Perform other tasks assigned by the dentist Treatment Room Management and Sterilization: Check treatment room for cleanliness Check and turn on treatment room equipment Clean treatment room as the end of the day and turn off equipment Maintain a supply inventory for hygiene treatment Properly discard all disposable items for each visit Assemble soiled instruments and place in sterilization area Clean treatment room surfaces with disinfection solution Pre-soak soiled instruments in a disinfectant Sort and package instruments for proper sterilization Load, activate and vent the sterilization unit according to manufacturer’s directions Store instruments and trays in appropriate places Records Management: Securely store and handle patient records in compliance with state and federal requirements including HIPAA privacy and security regulations Accurately record medical and dental histories Completely fill out referrals to be sent to other providers Office Participation: Be an active participant in team meetings Promote team concept by interacting with others in the dental office PERSONNEL REQUIREMENTS: Education/experience: Must be licensed to practice in Montana Must have completed post-secondary education from an accredited dental hygiene program Compliance with state dental practice requirements (Radiology certification, OSHA training) Computer skills in dental software Experience providing prophylaxis and taking radiographs Interpersonal Good interpersonal skills to maintain effective rapport with patients, dentists, other staff members and community Effective verbal skills to communicate with patients and staff