Dental Hygienist

Salud Para La Gente (Salud) provides high quality, comprehensive and cost‑effective healthcare to underserved low‑income communities in the Monterey Bay area, including Santa Cruz County and North Monterey County. We began in Watsonville in 1978 as a storefront “free clinic,” and in 1992 became a federally qualified community health center (FQHC). Today we are a primary health care network with 11 clinic sites, over 400 employees and continue to provide high quality services to patients of all ages.

Under the supervision of the Dental Director, the Dental Hygienist provides services including but not limited to charting of lesions and conditions, procedures that maintain a patient’s oral health, integration of dental services with our medical services, and conducting educational programs for the prevention and control of dental disease. The Dental Hygienist also emphasizes the importance of education and prevention to patients, staff, and the community  ideal candidate will embrace our mission to provide high quality dental care to patients of all ages and support our vision and values through excellence, competitiveness, innovation, respect, commitment and accountability.

• Provides dental prophylactic services to prevent and control dental disease.
• Coordinates and plans educational programs to ensure greater comprehension of good dental practices.
• Maintains patients’ electronic dental records to track procedures performed, materials used, and other relevant information.
• Responsible for cleaning the teeth, including scaling and polishing.
• Performs preventive treatments such as topical applications of drugs to surface tissues and exposed surfaces of human teeth.
• Advises patients on proper home care and the treatment of teeth and gums.
• Independently prepares topical dental solutions and instructions in preventive dental hygiene to patients.
• Administers local anesthetic as needed.
• Performs sterilization of instruments.
• Takes radiographs as needed.
• Works with a variety of patients including pediatric, pregnant, and medically compromised patients.
• Performs basic restorative procedures such as cement removal and sealant placement, and other duties specified by the California Board of Dental Hygiene.
• Other duties as deemed necessary by Dentists and the Dental Director.

• Completion of an approved dental hygiene training program.
• CPR Certificate.
• X‑ray License.
• Licence to practice dental hygiene by the California State Board of Dental Examiners.
• High school diploma or GED.
• Training in administering local anesthetics.
• Fluent bilingual (Spanish/English) skills are required.

• Standing, walking, sitting, typing, reaching, bending, moving and/or lifting up to 50 pounds.

Salary range: $47.85 – $59.61 per hour

Employment type:

Full‑Time

Benefits (available to all regular Salud employees working 24+ hours per week; part‑time employees may receive pro‑rated benefits):

• Medical, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance Plans
• Paid Time Off (PTO): 19 days per year
• Paid Holidays: 12 per year
• 401(k) Retirement Plan with employer contribution
• 403(b), FSA for dependent care
• Voluntary Long‑Term Disability

• Employees on temporary assignments are eligible for holiday pay and California sick pay, prorated based on hours worked.
• On‑call employees are eligible for California sick pay, prorated based on hours worked.

Salud is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, or genetic information. Salud is committed to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. To request reasonable accommodation, contact the Salud Human Resources Department at 831‑728‑8250 or HRDept.