Certified Dental Assistant

SUMMARY: The dental assistant reports to the Clinical Dental Supervisor of Samuels Sinclair Dental Center and/or its Practice Manager/Director. Under the clinical supervision of staff dentists, follows established policies and procedures to assist dentists and dental hygienists. The dental center provides care to adult, intellectually disabled, pediatric and medically compromised patients.

Brown University Health employees are expected to successfully role model the organization's values of Compassion, Accountability, Respect, and Excellence as these values guide our everyday actions with patients, customers, and one another.

• Instill Trust and Value Differences
• Patient and Community Focus and Collaborate

• Reviews scheduled procedures and prepares the dental unit by setting up instruments, materials, and supplies.
• Updates and reviews signed and dated medical history of patients; monitors vital signs when indicated prior to and during treatment; prepares patients for treatment including draping, positioning, and placement in protective devices.
• Explains procedures to patients and answers questions to alleviate fears; provides instruction regarding proper dental hygiene, post‑surgery care, and denture care.
• Performs sealants for prevention of decay.
• Fabricates custom trays and record bases, pours and trims study models, and fabricates night guards or stints; processes laboratory shipments and receipts.
• Assists dentists and dental hygienists with a variety of dental and oral surgical procedures performed at the dental center and operating room, including restorative, prosthodontic, oral surgery, periodontic, and endodontic. Passes instruments and materials, suctions the oral cavity, and applies and holds retractors for proper exposure of the treatment site according to established procedures for four‑handed dentistry.
• Charts existing restorations and missing teeth; discharges patients and provides proper follow‑up instructions.
• Serves as a liaison between group homes and/or parent and clinic for patient scheduling.
• Cleans the treatment area, laboratory, and equipment following procedures; sterilizes instruments; cleans and maintains a variety of equipment such as suction hose, autoclave, and other dental and laboratory equipment.
• Maintains inventory of dental supplies; utilizes the computer terminal to enter charges for services and record Do Not Keep (DNK) appointments in the patient’s clinical chart.
• Performs routine clerical duties such as record‑keeping, taking phone messages, scheduling patient visits, and confirming patient visits for the following two business days.
• Performs other related duties as required.

• Completion of an approved Dental Assistant program and certification by the Dental Assisting National Board, Inc.
• Or a Dental Assistant who has 3,500 hours of approved work experience and is X‑ray certified from an accredited program.
• Knowledge of dental assisting, including familiarity with four‑handed dentistry procedures, instruments, and equipment used in operative dentistry, periodontics, pedodontics, endodontics, oral surgery, and prosthodontics, as well as knowledge of dental radiographic and laboratory procedures.
• Demonstrated clerical skills to perform office duties, including assisting the dentist and hygienist in record‑keeping on dental software.
• Demonstrated ability to operate office equipment such as computer system, fax machine, and copy machine.
• Interpersonal skills to deal effectively with dentists, families, guardians, group home staff and specialized population of patients to explain procedures, provide instruction regarding proper dental hygiene, and alleviate fears.
• Demonstrated knowledge and skills necessary to provide care to patients throughout the Brown University Health with consideration of aging processes, human development stages and cultural patterns in each step of the care process.
• Certified in Basic Life Support (BLS).
• Required to pass the Dental Assisting National Board within three (3) months from the date of hire.

• General dental assisting experience, plus three to six months experience on…