Dental Assistant

About the job

Heritage Health has an opening for a full-time (1.0 FTE) dental assistant at its medical and dental clinic in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. The dental assistant helps dentists and dental hygienists care for patients and keeps the dental clinic's day running smoothly.

What you'll do

• Greet patients, get them ready for treatment, explain procedures and keep them comfortable
• Assist dentists and hygienists chairside with four-handed dentistry during procedures
• Take intraoral and diagnostic x-rays, and more complex radiography under direct supervision
• Take vital signs, update medical histories and point out important findings for the dentist
• Chart existing restorations and enter the decay and other conditions the dentist diagnoses into the treatment plan, then hand patients off to the scheduling team
• Teach patients oral hygiene, aftercare and prevention as the dentist or hygienist directs
• Keep patient records accurate, including health histories, consent forms, treatment plans, progress notes and referrals
• Sterilize and maintain instruments, equipment and treatment areas, follow universal precautions and infection control, and help keep supplies stocked
• Under a dentist's supervision and as Idaho law allows, perform tasks such as placing rubber dams and retraction cord, temporary restorations and crowns, matrix bands, sealants, coronal polish and fluoride (including silver diamine fluoride), suture removal and nitrous oxide
• Help with scheduling, confirming visits and answering patient questions when needed

What you need

• BLS certification, or earned within 90 days of hire
• Good communication, organization and time management, and able to handle several tasks at once accurately
• Knowledge of dental procedures, terms and equipment, and able to follow safety and infection control rules
• Able to stand for long stretches, work at a computer, lift up to 15 pounds at times, and work in a noisy or stressful setting
• Comfortable working with patients who may have contagious diseases, injuries or emotional distress

Preferred

• Completion of an accredited dental assistant program
• Completion of an externship or a federally registered apprenticeship
• Experience with Dentrix Enterprise and Dexis
• Dental assistant experience, though entry-level applicants with related work experience will be considered

Schedule

• Full-time, 1.0 FTE
• No weekends or holidays

Benefits

• A sign-on and retention bonus
• Medical, dental and vision coverage for the employee, paid fully by the employer for full-time staff
• Employer-paid life insurance and long-term disability, plus short-term disability
• A 403(b) retirement plan with an employer match of up to 4%
• PTO and an extended illness bank in the first year, plus 8 paid holidays for full-time staff
• An employee assistance program (EAP) with free telehealth visits, counseling and wellness coaching for you and your household