Dental Hygienist

Neighborhood Health Center is a non‑profit organization local to Portland, OR serving underserved patients in primary care, internal medicine, dental services and more. Our patient‑centered approach honors the unique needs and circumstances of each individual patient. NHC sees people, not problems. Our integrated clinical teams work in partnership with patients, families, and communities to provide whole‑person care, prevention, and ongoing support.

Dental Hygienist

Dental

Chief Dental Officer

On‑Site

Full‑Time, Exempt

Eligible

This position is responsible for providing dental hygiene and periodontal therapy treatment to patients in clinic and mobile dental units.

• Provides clinical services to adults and children including prophylaxis, scaling, root planing, soft tissue curettage, and preventive care (oral health screenings, dental sealants, fluoride treatments, and education).
• Obtains and enters patient information into the electronic dental record, including chief complaint, health history, medications, allergies, vitals, patient pain level, findings, and treatment plans.
• Develops and implements preventive oral health programs for patients.
• Provides blood pressure screening and administers topical and local anesthesia as licensure permits.
• Performs fluoride applications, polish restorations, and alloys.
• Provides nitrous oxide as licensure permits.
• Coordinates a variety of dental health services including case management and referrals to available community resources.
• Provides patients and their families with instruction on oral hygiene, oral disease prevention, and post‑operative instructions, including anticipated next steps and appointment information.
• Consults regularly with dentists on individual patient needs and complex medical histories.
• Maintains proper infection control practices at all times, including PPE, hand hygiene, handling and disposal of sharps and biohazard waste, instrument sterilization, and dental operatory disinfection.
• Maintains collaborative relationships with all levels of co‑workers and the general public.
• Assists in new employee training on specific tasks, as needed.
• Works collaboratively in a team environment with a spirit of cooperation.
• Participates in process and quality improvement workflows.
• Maintains punctual, regular, and predictable attendance.
• Complies with NHC standardized workflows, protocols, HIPAA, OSHA, and safety guidelines.
• Performs all duties necessary to support tele‑dentistry as needed.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

• Requires graduation from an accredited dental hygiene program.
• One year related experience and/or training preferred; equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.
• Valid and unencumbered Oregon Dental Hygiene License is required.
• BLS card is required.
• Highly punctual and dependable.
• High level of accuracy and attention to detail.
• Ability to maintain discretion with sensitive or confidential information.
• Must have excellent organizational skills.
• Ability to work under direction of multiple people.
• Intermediate or higher proficiency of MS Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and Adobe Acrobat.
• Ability to effectively manage multiple tasks, sometimes with conflicting deadlines.
• Ability to work independently and within a team setting.
• Familiarity with video conferencing applications and software.
• Excellent grammar, spelling, and proofreading skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work flexible hours occasionally as needed.

• This position is full‑time and is scheduled to work 40 hours per week, with 4/10 hours workdays. Working days and locations may be variable. Occasional weekend availability may be required.
• High patient volume results in a fast‑paced environment; noise level is moderate to loud.
• Regular exposure to toxic chemicals for infection control or blood‑borne pathogens and handling contaminated sharp instruments.
• Regularly sit while working on the computer; use hands and fingers to handle, control or feel objects or tools; repeat the same movements when entering data;…