Dental Assistant I

First Choice Community Healthcare • Los Lunas, NM

301d

About The Position

For more than 50 years, First Choice Community Healthcare has provided access to high quality primary medical, dental, and behavioral healthcare to the underserved populations of the Mid-Rio Grande Valley of central New Mexico. Today, we operate seven (7) Community Health Centers and one (1) school-based clinic. We are currently recruiting for a Dental Assistant to join our team and assist in fulfilling our organizations mission, which is to improve the health, life skills and wellbeing of all members of the communities we serve. Our health centers maintain an open-door policy, providing treatment regardless of an individual's income or insurance coverage. As a non-profit organization, First Choice is a vital community resource in Central New Mexico. Not only does our organization provide the highest quality, comprehensive medical services, but we also address our patients' emotional, social, and cultural needs.

Requirements

• High School graduate or GED certificate required.
• Graduation from an ADA recognized certificate program is preferred.
• Bi-lingual English/Spanish is preferred.
• Work experience directly related to the duties and responsibilities specified is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provides chair side assistance to dentists and/or dental hygienists in the performance of dental procedures, to include operative, preventive, periodontal, endodontic, prosthetic, and/or oral surgical procedures.
• Prepares, sterilizes, organizes, and sets up dental equipment, ensures that all dental instruments are cleaned, dated, and processed according to established clinic guidelines and standards.
• Monitors and maintains dental equipment, such as compressors, evacuator systems, radiographic developing equipment, sterilizers, and light curing units, in accordance with manufacturers' guidelines.
• Exposes and processes dental radiographs in accordance with provider orders; assists in the monitoring and maintenance of radiation safety procedures and protocols.
• Follows and maintains all relevant federal, state, and institutional regulations, guidelines, policies, and standards for the provision of dental clinical services.
• Orders and maintains inventories of dental clinic supplies.
• Interacts with and processes dental clinic patients; performs telephone triage, conducts patient interviews, and obtains prior approvals from third party payors.
• Maintains dental laboratory slips and creates and maintains dental records in accordance with established protocol and procedures.
• Prepares instruments for sterilization and storage in trays.
• Educates patients based on a sound knowledge of prevention and control of oral diseases; uses various teaching aids to effectively present the information to patients.
• Inventories and orders materials and supplies for the dental clinic.
• Contacts patients by telephone for return visits.
• Takes and pours up dental impressions under direction of a dentist.
• Performs miscellaneous job-related duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Medical Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Flexible Spending Account
• Employee Assistance Program
• Aflac
• Life and AD&D Insurance
• Voluntary Life Insurance
• Identity Theft
• Retirement Savings -403(b)
• 10-20 days per service year (based on length of service)
• Sick Leave 64 hours per year (unused rolls over each year into Long Term Sick Leave)
• Long Term Sick Leave 40 hours per year
• 10 Paid holidays per year
• 40 hours of Educational Leave per year for full time employees
• $700 per year for tuition reimbursement

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Industry: Ambulatory Health Care Services
• Education Level: High school or GED
• Number of Employees: 251-500 employees