Dental Assistant - Dental Sterilization

Job Description

As a UW employee, you have a unique opportunity to change lives on our campuses, in our state and around the world. UW employees offer their boundless energy, creative problem‑solving skills, and dedication to build stronger minds and a healthier world.

The UW School of Dentistry (UWSOD) has an outstanding opportunity for a Dental Assistant 2 (DA2). The Office of Clinical Services (OCS) supports the operations of multiple School of Dentistry clinics, delivering dental care to the state’s largest and most diverse patient population. We utilize a team‑oriented approach and work very hard to serve our patients and students. OCS is committed to providing an environment where every employee feels welcomed, valued, and appreciated.

Within the School of Dentistry, there are thirteen clinics where pre‑doctoral and graduate dental students receive education while also providing care to patients. Faculty and staff supervise these dentists‑in‑training. To support the educational mission, the Dental Assistant – Oral Radiology operates in the Oral Radiology Clinic and, based on patient treatment procedure and staffing needs, also provides backup support to the D2 and D3 clinics for pre‑doctoral students, and the D2/D3 clinic dispensaries.

In addition, this individual will float as needed in other pre‑doctoral or graduate clinics within the UW School of Dentistry (Dental Admissions, Dental Urgent Care, DECOD, Endodontics, Oral Medicine, Orthodontics, Pediatric, Graduate Periodontics, Graduate Prosthodontics, Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology and the UW Dentistry Campus Dental Center).

Reporting to the Dental Clinic Supervisor 1 and Clinic Manager, the DA2 is expected to interact on a professional basis with students and the workforce at all times and provide excellent customer service to our patients. Participate in UWSOD‑required trainings such as health and safety, HIPAA, FERPA, BBP, and other Relias trainings.

• Perform chairside four‑handed dentistry with dental students in the Student Teaching clinics.
• Obtain and prepare dental materials, such as impression material, composite, bonding agents, and disposables needed for patient care.
• Independently operate equipment to take a full range of routine and complex digital intraoral and extraoral radiographs, including periapical, bitewing, panoramic, occlusal, and lateral images, and cone beam computed tomography scans.
• Aid dental students, residents and/or faculty in four‑handed dentistry and in routine chair‑side duties and patient care.
• Clean and prepare treatment areas using School of Dentistry standardized infection control protocols.
• Conduct inventories and stock supplies.
• Monitor school‑owned instruments for breakage and wear; assess replacement needs and maintain clinic hand pieces.
• Suggest process improvements to leadership.
• Participate in dental student clinic orientations and limited classroom activities related to the dental team; may participate in orientation and training of new staff members.
• Perform related dental assistant duties as assigned.

• Conduct entire sterilization cycle for all School clinics; debride, perform quality checks, replace instruments as necessary, wrap and sterilize items, following pre‑sterilization and sterilization protocols.
• Utilize scanning software system to monitor the distribution and flow of instruments, hand pieces, and other patient care items to maintain strict infection control protocols.
• Operate autoclaves, washers, and other sterilization equipment; conduct biological testing of equipment.
• Maintain hand piece, cassette, bur, impression tray, and spore testing logs; notify parties of discrepancies and report any ongoing problems to Manager.
• Store sterile and disinfected set‑ups in preparation for delivery to clinics and students.
• Using the instrument ordering software, coordinate the pick‑up and delivery of instruments to clinics.
• Perform basic calculations related to verifying sterilizer functions and inventory control.
• Inspect, assemble, package, label and date instruments and cassettes.
• Enter inventory data using a computer terminal or a…