Dental Hygienist

Dental Hygienist Opportunity In Orleans

If you're passionate about prevention, education, and patient connection, you'll thrive here. Our Dental Hygienists in Orleans are trusted partners in care—not just support staff. You'll work in a collaborative environment where your expertise is respected, your schedule is balanced, and your focus stays where it belongs: on delivering exceptional care and helping patients achieve lifelong oral health.

The Dental Hygienist provides preventive dental care, patient education, and assists with dental treatments within a community health setting, focusing on underserved populations. They perform routine cleanings, screenings, and apply preventive treatments while also educating patients on oral hygiene and promoting overall health.

This position has no direct supervisory responsibilities.

Essential Job Functions/Responsibilities:

• Initial, periodic, and emergency examinations
• Prophylactics
• Perio scaling
• Root planning
• Fluoride application
• Sealant application
• Radiographs
• Impressions of teeth
• Construction of fluoride trays, mouth guards
• With proper training and certification; administering local anesthethic (novacane)
• Recementing temporary crowns
• Placing temporary fillings
• Taking x-ray film exposures
• Developing and mounting films
• Provide assistance to the Dentist as appropriate

• Document clinical activities and relevant patient care information in dental records as per dental practice and health center protocols.
• Maintain records and manage patient recall notices for dental examinations and treatment as per protocols or request.

• Provide dental health education and instructions to patients for the following:
• Oral hygiene
• Dental health
• Treatment plan review
• Community
• Participate in the planning and implementation of community based health education initiatives, including but not limited to formal and informal public presentations, screening clinics, newsletter articles, etc.

Clean and sterilize dental instruments as per protocol.

Participate in the development, implementation, audit, and continuous evaluation and improvement of protocols, services and programs provided by the dental service and/or the health center.

Position

Qualifications:

Education:

A.S. degree from an accredited program in Dental Hygiene. Licensed in the State of Vermont. Successful completion of State of Vermont Certification Examination. Provider level CPR/BLS required.

Experience:

One-year experience in a supervised dental practice setting preferred.

Knowledge and Ability:
Able to communicate effectively with patients of all ages. Able to work within a team concept, maintaining positive and constructive interactions with the public and with staff at all levels of the organization. Must have proficiency in computer skills including, but not limited to email functions, spreadsheets, document processing, and Electronic Medical Records. Must maintain a high level of confidentiality.

Typical Physical Demands:
Requires full range of body motion including handling and lifting patients, manual and finger dexterity and eye-hand coordination. Requires standing and walking for prolonged periods of time. Occasionally lifts and caries items weighing up to 25 pounds. Requires normal visual acuity and hearing. Requires exposure to communicable diseases and bodily fluids. Requires working under stress in emergency situations during irregular hours.

Standards of Conduct:
Each employee is responsible for conducting themselves in an ethical manner, and reporting possible violations to the appropriate channels. Employees must be careful in both words and conduct to avoid placing, or appearing to place, pressure on subordinates or co-workers that could cause them to violate these standards of conduct or to deviate from accepted norms of ethical business practice.