Dental Hygienist

Job Title: Dental Hygienist

Salary: Starting at $47 per hour DOE

Location: Tustin, CA

Openings: 1 Position Available

Position Purpose: Under the direct supervision of a dentist, cleans calcareous deposits, accretions, and stains from teeth and beneath margins of gums, using dental instruments. Feels lymph nodes under patient's chin to detect swelling or tenderness that could indicate presence of oral cancer. Feels and visually examines gums for sores and signs of disease. May provide clinical services and health education to improve and maintain oral health of schoolchildren. May conduct dental health clinics for community groups to augment services of dentist.

Core Duties and responsibilities, include but are not limited to:

• Prepares treatment room for patient by adhering to prescribed procedures and protocols.

• Prepares patient for dental hygiene treatment by welcoming, soothing, seating, and draping patient.

• Provides information to patients and employees by answering questions and requests.

• Maintains instrumentation for dental hygiene treatment by sharpening, sterilizing, and selecting instruments.

• Selects materials and equipment for dental hygiene visit by evaluating patient's oral health.

• Completes dental prophylaxis by cleaning deposits and stains from teeth and from beneath gum margins.

• Detects 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.

• Arrests dental decay by applying fluorides and other cavity- preventing agents.

• Maintains 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.

• Helps dentist manage dental and medical emergencies by maintaining cpr certification, emergency drugs and oxygen supply, and directory of emergency numbers.

• Educates patients by giving oral hygiene and plaque control instructions and postoperative instructions; providing reminders of time of next dental hygiene visit.

• Documents dental hygiene services by recording vital signs and medical and dental histories; charting in patient records.

• Maintains patient confidence and protects operations by keeping information confidential.

• Maintains safe and clean working environment by complying with procedures, rules, and regulations.

• Protects patients and employees by adhering to infection-control policies and protocols.

• Ensures 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.

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

• Conserves dental resources by using equipment and supplies as needed to accomplish job results.

• Maintains professional and technical knowledge by attending educational workshops; reviewing professional publications; establishing personal networks; participating in professional societies.

• Contributes to team effort by accomplishing related results as needed.

*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.

Education and Training:

• 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 work experience

Qualifications, Skills, and 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 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:

• General work hours are Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., however, start times will vary, depending on organizational, staffing, community, and patient needs.

• Work schedules are subject to change based on organizational, staffing, community, and patient needs. As such, FTOC may need to modify work schedules to meet such needs.

• Saturday work schedules will also be effected or implemented 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 staff may be assigned a primary site (Tustin, Garden Grove, Fountain Valley, Wellness Center, Mobile Units, or Telehealth, etc.), you may be required to temporarily fill in at another site based on organizational, staffing, community, and patient needs.

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