Expanded Practice Dental Hygienist - Fernhill Clinic

Expanded Practice Dental Hygienist - Fernhill Clinic

Join to apply for the Expanded Practice Dental Hygienist - Fernhill Clinic role at Multnomah County

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Pay Range: $46.70 - $57.43 Hourly

Department: Health Department

Job Type: Regular Represented

Exemption Status: United States of America (Non-Exempt)

This dental hygienist position qualifies for Loan Repayment Options. We seek leaders, achievers and doers who bring skill and passion to a challenging and evolving environment. At the Multnomah County Health Department we are inspired by the mission:
We work with communities to advance health equity, protect the most vulnerable, and promote health and wellness for everyone. We uphold the values:
Compassion and Care, Empowerment, Racial Equity, Creativity and Integrity. We create a culture of respect, trust and understanding for the highly diverse population we serve.

We’re seeking a visionary and dynamic leader who is creative in problem solving and contributes new ideas and solutions to the organization to join our team in Integrated Clinical Services.

At Multnomah County Integrated Clinical Systems (ICS) the Dental Hygienist provides direct periodontal and dental hygiene treatment and education in oral health maintenance and disease prevention to dental clinic patients and the community. The dental hygienist is an integral member of the dental program and participates in many aspects of clinical operations, including disease control, prevention, sterilization, infection control, scheduling, evaluating and improving workflows, and other duties.

As with all positions within the Health Department, Dental Hygienists are expected to create a work culture of respect, trust and understanding for the highly diverse populations the Health Department serves.

• Provide clinical dental hygiene services, including prophylaxis, debridement, scaling and root planing, complete periodontal charting and periodontal treatment, administer topical and local anesthetic, expose and mount dental radiographs, place dental sealants, apply fluoride varnish, evaluate and record blood pressure, review and sign paper medical history and proper chart documentation.
• Address dental anxiety according to patients’ needs including but not limited to the administration of nitrous oxide when appropriate.
• Educate patients on preventive dental actions that improve dental and overall health, including practical and physical demonstration of best brushing and cleaning methods, new techniques or products, and provide written materials.
• Demonstrate and teach oral hygiene methods and develop individual prevention plans for each client.
• Provide triage for emergencies to improve patient flow and respond to patient emergencies in clinic or when presenting for services.
• Consult with dentists for patient care and complex medical history or in‑person needs.
• Consult for referrals for specialized care or services beyond those provided in clinics or at another County location, and coordinate with Dental Scheduler on needed treatment and scheduling of appointments.
• Provide guidance to dental/hygiene students.

• Oversee, maintain, and support strict asepsis controls to prevent transmission of communicable diseases before/during/after patient care according to county safety standards and protocols; maintain strict control over the disposal of toxic materials.
• Work in central sterilization, including processing and sterilizing instruments for all providers, according to the dental protocol for instrument sterilization.
• Complete dental/periodontal charting in a timely manner.
• Maintain a safe workplace according to county safety and health protocols and actively participate in safety initiatives.

• Meet productivity goals to maintain patient access and the fiscal sustainability of the dental program.
• Plan patient care processes, time for education and answering questions, charting and other documentation, confer with dentists and other team members for needed patient follow‑up or unusual situations.
• Track and report on patient and service demographics, participate in team…