About the position
UT Southwestern Medical Center is hiring for the position of Dental Assistant III in the Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Clinic. This role is integral to patient care management within the clinic, assisting OMFS faculty in all aspects of dental care delivery, including advanced or specialized dentistry. The successful candidate will demonstrate strong customer service skills, effective time management, and a solid work ethic. The position requires a high school diploma or GED, completion of an approved dental assistant program or on-the-job training, and a minimum of three years of experience as a Dental Assistant. Additionally, candidates must hold a Basic Life Support (BLS) certification accredited by the American Heart Association (AHA) or American Red Cross (ARC), along with certifications in Radiology, Jurisprudence, and Infection Control, and must be registered as a Dental Assistant with the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners. The Dental Assistant III will be responsible for setting up sterile instrument trays for operations and routine dental treatments, ensuring that clinical trays are ready for emergencies. The role includes cleaning and sterilizing treatment rooms and instruments after procedures, as well as providing routine care to instruments, linens, and auxiliary supplies. The assistant will also assist in changing intra-oral and extra-oral dressings, prepare and deliver soft splints for patients, and take preoperative and postoperative radiographs, including processing and developing them. Furthermore, the assistant will label and file radiographs with patients' charts and duplicate them upon request. In addition to these duties, the Dental Assistant III will assist division faculty during oral and maxillofacial surgery, orthodontic, prosthodontic, or restorative procedures, handing instruments and supplies as needed. The role also involves maintaining and controlling infection of instruments and handpieces, labeling and sending pathology samples, and taking clinical photographs of patients for documentation. The assistant will compile information for new patient files, maintain current patient files, and gather retrospective data from surgery patients' records for faculty use in scientific papers and surgical studies. Scheduling and coordinating daily patient appointments is another key responsibility, ensuring maximum utilization of time and health service space while avoiding patient overload. The assistant will triage and respond to patient inquiries or emergency calls in EPIC, schedule follow-up appointments, and maintain an organized inventory of dental supplies. Additionally, the assistant will educate and supervise lower-grade dental staff, contributing to a collaborative and efficient working environment.
Responsibilities
- Set up sterile instrument trays for operations and routine dental treatments; ensure clinical trays are ready for emergencies.
- Clean and sterilize treatment rooms and instruments after procedure completion.
- Sterilize and provide routine care to instruments, linens, and auxiliary supplies, including spray valves, compressed air apparatus, syringes, and suction equipment.
- Assist in changing intra-oral and extra-oral dressings.
- Prepare and deliver soft splints for patients as deemed necessary by division faculty.
- Take preoperative and postoperative radiographs, including processing and developing them.
- Label and file radiographs with patients' charts; duplicate radiographs within 24 hours when requested.
- Assist division faculty and circulate during oral and maxillofacial surgery, orthodontic, prosthodontic, or restorative procedures, handing instruments and supplies to dentist or surgeon as needed.
- Provide maintenance and infection control of instruments and handpieces by sharpening instruments as needed and by cleaning and sterilizing instruments according to established policy.
- Label, send, and follow up on pathology samples obtained in clinic by division faculty.
- Take preoperative and postoperative clinical photographs of patients for documentation of changes for use in preparation of scientific articles.
- Compile information needed to set up new patient files and maintain patient files in current condition.
- Compile retrospective data from surgery patients' records for use by division faculty in preparing scientific papers and as aid in surgical procedure studies.
- Schedule and coordinate daily patient appointments for division faculty to ensure maximum utilization of time and health service space and to avoid overloading of patient scheduling.
- Triage and answer patient questions or emergency calls asked in EPIC Care in Dental Assistant's field of expertise, regarding prescription refills or information being sought by patient, both during and after office hours.
- Schedule follow-up appointments and other tests including MRIs, CAT scans, and/or blood studies as deemed necessary by provider.
- Assist in filing charts, dictations, etc.
- Maintain organized and adequate inventory of supplies by ordering dental laboratory supplies and stocking work areas in organized manner.
- Maintain patient education and instructional materials consultation area to ensure readily available patient information.
- Educate and observe dental staff of lower grade.
Requirements
- High School graduate or GED.
- Completion of approved dental assistant program or on-the-job training.
- Three (3) years of experience as a Dental Assistant.
- Basic Life Support (BLS) certification accredited by the American Heart Association (AHA) or American Red Cross (ARC).
- Radiology, Jurisprudence, and Infection Control Certifications.
- Registered as a Dental Assistant with the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners.
Benefits
- Childcare
- Health insurance
- On-the-job training
- Paid time off
