Dental Assistant, Cedar Hills Dental Office

Job Summary

Provide direct support to dentists, hygienists, denturists and other provider personnel in the delivery of dental care and service within a Kaiser Permanente dental office.

• Performs all duties permitted to a dental assistant consistent with the individual's training and under the observation of a licensed provider as referenced in the State Dental Practice Act and the related Administrative Rules. These duties include applying topical anesthetic and desensitizing agents as directed by the provider, removal of sutures and post‑extraction periodontal dressings, retracting a patient's cheek, tongue, or other tissue during an operation, assisting in the placement or removal of a rubber dam, removing debris with a vacuum device, compressed air, mouth washes or water, inspecting the oral cavity, drying root canals with paper points, placing temporary filling material in endodontic access, taking impressions for periodontal night guards, polishing coronal surfaces of teeth, training patients in oral hygiene techniques, placing and exposing dental radiographs, and more.
• In support of a dentist who is not an orthodontist, performs preliminary selection and sizing of bands, removal of fixed orthodontic appliances, checking for loose bands and brackets, removal of ligature ties and head appliances, placement and removal of arch wires, elastics, and orthodontic separators, intra‑oral measurements for orthodontic procedures, removal of supra‑gingival orthodontic bracket bonding material, radiation film handling, and organization of the patient's dental record.
  
  Greet patients, review health questionnaires, promote patient comfort, and answer patient questions as directed by the provider.
• Anticipate the needs of the provider by maintaining scheduling flow, preparing and passing instruments, maintaining a clear operating field, verifying patient record information, entering data via the TEAM system, responding to medical emergencies, processing radiographs, taking blood pressure, cleaning and sterilizing instruments, maintaining a clean environment, ensuring equipment functionality, and reporting any issues to the office manager or supervisor.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the office manager or supervisory personnel, act in conformity with program policies and state regulations, and perform specific functions provided the dentist is on premises, including placing matrix retainers, polishing amalgam, removing excess cement, taking impressions for diagnostic or fabrication purposes, and assisting with nitrous oxide monitoring.

• Minimum one (1) year of experience as a dental assistant OR graduation from an ADA accredited dental assisting program.

• High School Diploma or General Education Development (GED) required.

• Dental Radiation Proficiency Certificate (Oregon)
• Pit and Fissure Sealant Certificate (Oregon) within 6 months of hire
• Expanded Function Dental Assistant Certificate (Oregon) within 3 months of hire
• Basic Life Support within 3 months of hire

• The applicant must demonstrate, to the satisfaction of the interviewer, the following qualifications: demonstrated competence in four‑handed dentistry, satisfactory knowledge of dental materials and equipment, ability to follow instructions under supervision, time management, courteous professional conduct with patients and staff, excellent attendance record, and pass a clinical pre‑employment skills test.

• Basic knowledge of sterilization and infection control equipment.

• Days and times vary.
• Travel may be required in the Aloha, Tigard, Beaverton, and Tanasbourne dental regions.

Entry level

Full‑time

Health Care Provider

Hospitals and Health Care