Dental Hygienist

Job Title:Dental Hygienist

Department:Dental/Clinical

Reports To:Dental Director/Dental Services Manager

FLSA Status:Non-Exempt

SUMMARY

The Dental Hygienist is to assistthe dentist in providing oral health care to patients by cleaning, scaling andpolishing teeth, taking and processing x-rays, and providing instructions onoral hygiene to patients, personnel and public.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following.Other duties may be assigned.

Works under the directsupervision of a dentist, promotes a team concept, maintains effective rapportwith patients, dentists, other staff members and community.

Responsible for patient screeningprocedures such as assessment of oral health conditions, review of the healthhistory, oral cancer screening, head and neck inspection, dental charting andtaking blood pressure and pulse.

Takes and develops dentalradiographs (x-rays).

Removes calculus and plaque (hardand soft deposits) from all surfaces of the teeth.

Applies preventive materials tothe teeth (e.g. sealants and fluorides).

Teaches patients appropriate oralhygiene strategies to maintain oral health (e.g., tooth brushing, flossing and nutritionalcounseling).

Counsels patients regarding goodnutrition and its impact on oral health.

Makes impressions of patients’teeth for study casts (models of teeth used by dentists to evaluate patienttreatment needs).

Performs documentation and officemanagement activities.

Checks and maintains equipmentand submits supply orders as necessary.

Follows infection controlprocedures for hygiene treatment area.

Reviews, selects and submitsorders for patient education materials.

Works with Receptionist/OfficeManager to schedule hygiene patients with efficiency.

Communicates effectively andprofessionally with patients, checks on patient comfort during treatment andhelps to allay patient anxiety.

Performs other tasks assigned byDentist.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

May supervise one dentalassistant who assists in the performance of dental hygienist activities.

QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully,an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.The requirements listed below arerepresentative of the knowledge, skills, and/or ability required.Reasonable accommodations may be made toenable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE

Graduate of a dental schoolaccredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American DentalAssociation (ADA) or comparable program with an Associate Degree or itsequivalent and 2-4 years of experience and is licensed as a dental hygienist inthe State of Mississippi.

LANGUAGE SKILLS

Ability to read, analyze, andinterpret common scientific and technical journals, financial reports, andlegal documents.Ability to respond tocommon inquiries or complaints from customers, regulatory agencies, or membersof the business community.Ability towrite speeches and articles for publication that conform to prescribed styleand format.Ability to effectivelypresent information to top management, public groups, and/or boards ofdirectors.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS

Ability to work with mathematicalconcepts such as probability and statistical inference, and fundamentals ofplane and solid geometry and trigonometry.Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, andproportions to practical situations.

REASONING ABILITY

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS

Must be licensed by the State ofMississippi as a Dental Hygienist.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands describedhere are representative of those that must be met by an employee tosuccessfully perform the essential functions of this job.Reasonable accommodations may be made toenable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties ofthis job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to finger,handle, or feel; and talk or hear.Theemployee frequently is required to stand, reach with hands and arms, and tasteor smell.The employee is occasionallyrequired to walk; climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.The employee must frequently lift and/or moveup to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.Specific vision abilities required by thisjob include close vision; color vision, depth perception, and ability adjustfocus.

Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully,an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.The requirements listed below arerepresentative of the knowledge, skills, and/or ability required.Reasonable accommodations may be made toenable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE

Graduate of a dental schoolaccredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American DentalAssociation (ADA) or comparable program with an Associate Degree or itsequivalent and 2-4 years of experience and is licensed as a dental hygienist inthe State of Mississippi.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS

Must be licensed by the State ofMississippi as a Dental Hygienist.

Benefits

Benefits:* •* Competitive salary* •* Health, dental, and vision insurance* •* Paid time off and holidays* •* 401-k (up to 3% match) * •* Continuing education opportunities* •* Supportive, team-oriented environment