Position Summary
Perform prophylaxis and/or periodontal scaling and examine oral areas, head, and neck for signs of oral disease. May educate patients on oral hygiene, take and develop x rays, or apply fluoride or sealants. May provide local anesthesia as needed for hygiene procedures or restorative treatment as directed by the Dentist.
- Essential Functions To accomplish this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform, with or without reasonable accommodation, each essential function satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to help enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- Clean calcareous deposits, accretions, and stains from teeth and beneath margins of gums, using dental instruments and/or ultrasonic technology.
- Utilize laser therapy in conjunction with Gingivitis and/or periodontal treatment.
- Record and review patient medical histories.
- Examine gums, using probes, to locate periodontal pockets and signs of gum disease.
- Feel and visually examine gums for sores and signs of disease.
- Expose periapical, bitewing and panoramic x rays.
- Chart conditions of decay and disease for diagnosis and treatment by dentist.
- Maintain dental equipment and sharpen and sterilize dental instruments.
- Feel lymph nodes under patient's chin to detect swelling or tenderness that could indicate presence of oral cancer.
- Provide clinical services or health education to improve and maintain the oral health of patients or the general public.
- Apply fluorides or other cavity preventing agents to arrest dental decay.
- Maintain patient recall system.
- Administer local anesthetic agents.
- Remove excess cement from coronal surfaces of teeth.
- Conduct dental health clinics for community groups to augment services of dentist.
- Remove sutures and dressings.
- Place and remove rubber dams, matrices, and temporary restorations.
- Make impressions for whitening trays.
- May be designated as the “numbing hygienist” and would be required to provide local anesthesia to all patients receiving restorative treatment, ensuring a smooth flow of the restorative schedule by aiding in the break-down, sterilization, and set up of the operatories throughout the day, assisting in the upkeep of the sterilization lab by helping with cleaning and bagging of instruments, and providing preventive and periodontal treatment as needed while the patient is in the Doctor's chair.
