Dental Assistant​/X-Ray Technician, Department of Oral Medicine, Penn Dental Medicine

Posted Job Title

Dental Assistant/X-Ray Technician, Department of Oral Medicine, Penn Dental Medicine

Job Profile Title

Dental Assistant B

The Dental Assistant/X-Ray Technician position at Penn Dental Medicine is a key team member supporting third and fourth-year dental students, pre-clinical students, faculty, staff, and patients. Penn Dental Medicine (PDM) has been a long-standing leader in clinical excellence due to its strong yet diverse faculty, a highly collaborative relationship with the School of Medicine, and its location within an Ivy League university and a city which is world renowned for health care education.

At Penn Dental Medicine, our students are among the nation’s best, and they are matched in quality by the high level of instruction and research among our faculty. Our research encompasses all the basic and clinical sciences, and Penn’s emphasis on interdisciplinary scholarship encourages collaborations across disciplines. Our clinical care brings the latest techniques and technologies to patients within our teaching clinics and faculty practice.

As stewards of the neighborhood in which we reside, Penn Dental Medicine participates in a diversity of community outreach programs, serving area residents while teaching our students to practice with compassion and responsibility.

• Supervise students in patient preparation for dental treatment by welcoming, comforting, seating, and obtaining medical history and patient vitals, and draping patient, as well as ensuring students work towards developing and creating a patient environment consistent with patient behavior support plans. Assist with medical immobilization and/or protective stabilization as needed and outlined in patient behavior support plans.
• Supervise and support students in documenting dental care services by charting in patient records.
• Provides information to patients and employees by answering questions and requests.
• Supervises, supports and trains students proper selecting, mixing, and placing materials on instruments and in the patient’s mouth.
• Assist students in obtaining diagnostic information by exposing and developing radiographic studies and pouring, trimming, and polishing study casts.
• Maintains patient appearance and ability to masticate by fabricating temporary restorations; cleaning and polishing removable appliances.
• Supervises students in fabricating temporary restorations; cleaning and polishing removable appliances, Aid in chairside assistance as needed.
• Educate and motivate patients by giving oral hygiene and plaque control instructions, presents and explains treatment plans to patients, demonstrates effective communication to bridge the gap between a pending treatment plan and a completed treatment plan, provides postoperative instructions and schedules subsequent visits.

• Aid in and provide clear instruction in the preparation of diagnostic data, digital imaging, digital intraoral & diagnostic photos, sterilization, and scanning diagnostic models.
• Taking and teaching radiographic procedures to students such as full mouth series, panoramic radiographs and CBCT, and assisting with patient behavior support plans. Help with CBCT downloads to facilitate interpretation by faculty.

• Maintains patient confidence and protects operations by keeping information confidential.
• Protects patients and employees by adhering to infection-control policies and protocols.
• Maintains safe and clean working environment by complying with procedures, rules, and regulations.
• Helps dentist(s) manage dental and medical emergencies by maintaining CPR certification, emergency drug and oxygen supply, and emergency telephone directory.
• Conserves dental resources by using equipment and supplies as needed to accomplish job results; monitors inventory; maintains proper usage and operations of equipment.
• Maintains professional and technical knowledge by attending educational workshops; reviewing professional publications; establishing personal networks; participating in professional societies.
• To date, clinical hours are Monday through Friday 8:00am-5:00pm;…