Dental Hygienist

Title: Dental Hygienist

Position Category:     Salary/ Exempt

Supervisor: Chief Executive Officer/Dentist/Dental Manager

Position Description: The dental hygienist works under the direct and general supervision of the dentist(s). The hygienist is responsible for preventative hygiene services for patientcare. The care ranges from direct patientcare to clerical, administrative, and lab duties.

All EHC employees are expected to engage and be active participants in quality  improvement projects and efforts, risk identification and reporting, attend trainings and meetings as requested and contribute to overall team spirit and cooperation. Employee contributions in this regard are valued and necessary for the organization’s successful care of our patients/clients.

Supervisory Duties: The hygienist is responsible for preventative hygiene services for patient care. The care ranges from direct patient care to clerical, administrative, and lab duties.

Duties/Responsibilities:

Perform hygiene procedures for a complete prophylaxis.
Perform sealants when recommended.
Perform periodontal scaling/root planning, curettage when recommended.
Take radiographs when needed.
Schedule patients for recall appointments.
Maintain a recall system for patients. Rolodex/cards/ computer.
Seat patient, check crossover information, update health history, check for chief complaint, take
radiographs, advise patient of treatment options, have dentist examine patient to establish comprehensive treatment plan.
Fill cancellations, broken appointments. Order hygiene supplies.
Take impressions for soft night guards/whitening trays/athletic mouth guards.

Instruct patients in oral hygiene brushing, flossing, product choices, sensitivity agents, fluoride supplements.
Be the liaison for the patient/dentist relationship.
Sterilize and disinfect room between patients, set up procedures for treatment. Lab work when needed.
Perform denture repairs when needed.
Maintain licenses, attend CEU trainings, mandatory clinic trainings.
Wear uniforms and maintain personal hygiene standards-hair shoulder length or above, wear safety glasses, gloves, and mask for all patients.
Fill out all documentation for patients’ charts: Billing information, clinical notes, computer or written encounters.
Application of fluoride.
Provide education of fluoride, nutrition, and dental health.
Removal of sutures.
Placing of temporary fillings.
Referrals to outside specialist as appropriate
Other duties as deemed necessary by supervisors.
Engage and actively participate in quality improvement projects and efforts, risk identification and reporting, attend trainings and meetings as requested and contribute to overall team spirit and cooperation.

Authority: Independent Dental Hygienist

Scope of practice. may perform only the following duties without supervision by a dentist:Interview patients and record complete medical and dental histories
Take and record the vital signs of blood pressure, pulse and temperature
Perform oral inspections, recording all conditions that should be called to the attention of a dentist
Perform complete periodontal and dental restorative charting
Perform all procedures necessary for a complete prophylaxis, including root planning
Apply fluoride to control caries;
Apply desensitizing agents to teeth;
Apply topical anesthetics;
Apply sealants;
Smooth and polish amalgam restorations, limited to slow-speed application only
Obtain impressions for athletic mouth guards and custom fluoride trays
Place and remove rubber dams
Place temporary restorations in compliance with the protocol adopted by the board
Apply topical antimicrobials, including fluoride but excluding antibiotics, for the purposes of bacterial reduction, caries control and desensitization in the oral cavity. The independent practice dental hygienist shall follow current manufacturer’s instructions in the use of these medicaments;
Expose and process radiographs, including but not limited to vertical and horizontal bitewing films, periapical films, panoramic images and full-mouth series, under protocols developed by the board as long as the independent practice dental hygienist has a written agreement with a licensed dentist that provides that the dentist is available to interpret all dental radiographs within 21 days from the date the radiograph is taken and that the dentist will sign a radiographic review and findings form; and
Prescribe, dispense or administer anti-cavity toothpastes or topical gels with 1.1 odorless sodium fluoride and oral rinses with 0.05%, 0.2%, 0.44% or 0.5% sodium fluoride, as well as chlorhexidine gluconate oral rinse. For the purposes of this paragraph, “topical” includes superficial and intraoral application.
Practice standards. An independent practice dental hygienist has the duties and responsibilities set out in this subsection with respect to each patient seen in an independent capacity. Only to be initiated if EHC has no dentist in residence.
Prior to an initial patient visit, an independent practice dental hygienist shall obtain from the patient or the parent or guardian of a minor patient written acknowledgment of the patient’s or parent’s or guardian’s understanding that the independent practice dental hygienist is not a dentist and that the service to be rendered does not constitute restorative care or treatment.
An independent practice dental hygienist shall provide to a patient or the parent or guardian of a minor patient a written plan for referral to a dentist for any necessary dentalcare. The referral plan must identify all conditions that should be called to the attention of the dentist.
Minimum Entrance Requirements:

Graduation from an accredited dental hygiene program.
Hold an active Maine dental hygiene license and dental radiograph license.
Obtain or hold a valid CPR certification.
Ability to maintain a harmonious relationship with staff, patients, and professionals.
Ability to meet the physical, mental and visual standards of the job.
Abide by employment contract.
Essential Functions Include:

COMPREHENSION: Understand complex problems and collaborate to explore alternative solutions.

ORGANIZATION: Organize and prioritize the work schedule of others to manage multiple tasks and/or projects.

DECISION MAKING: Make decisions that have significant impact on a department’s credibility, operations, and/or services.

COMMUNICATION: Communicates and explains a variety of information, verbally, in writing, electronically

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: Able to lift 25 – 40 lbs.; Walking/ Standing/ Bending/ Kneeling/ Squatting­ independently mobile or with assistive devices for long periods of time; Speaking and Hearing; Visual Acuity to read with or without corrective lenses; Able to use eye/hand coordination for providing dental hygiene services; Ability to use interfaced communication devices, (Electronic Medical Records, Telephones, Internet, etc…).