Dental Hygienist Itinerant

Job Type: Itinerant Employee

Location: Any Regional Community

Salary: DOE

Summary:

Assists the dental team in delivering optimum age-specific prevention and curative periodontal and dental care for the Chugachmiut patient population. Performs hygiene services on infants, children, adolescents, adults, and geriatric patients. Reporting to the Dentist, the Dental Hygienist will, under limited supervision, provide preventive dental care to include cleaning, polishing teeth, and instructing patients in good oral hygiene habits.  The Dental Hygienist will also provide chair-side assistance as needed and instruct patients in aftercare for dental treatments rendered.  Travel is required to the Chugachmiut communities to provide services. 

Major Responsibilities:

1. Performs dental hygiene procedures, including cleaning teeth, removing plaque and tartar, and applying fluoride treatments.
2. Completes preliminary oral examinations on patients which includes a review of the patient’s medical and dental history, examines the teeth and surrounding tissues, and charts findings.
3. Examines oral tissues, performs deep scaling, root planning, coronal polishing of teeth, and applies topical fluoride. Measures and marks periodontal pockets.
4. Inspects the mouth and throat for evidence of disease, takes and reviews routine x-rays, and alerts the dentist of any possible abnormalities such as cavities, traumatic occlusions, and suspicious lesions.
5. Maintains hygienist supplies and instruments and follows strict infection control protocols and maintains a clean and sterile treatment environment.
6. Educates patients on proper oral hygiene techniques and provides personalized recommendations and treatment plans for dental care.
7. Communicates effectively with other health care providers and patients, provides verbal and written instructions in a clear and concise manner and ensures that these instructions are understood by listening and asking for feedback.
8. Listens to the patient’s concerns and addresses concerns which can be addressed within the time scheduled and informs the patients of the course of action to follow for their dental concerns.
9. Maintains accurate patient records and updates medical histories as needed.
10. Utilizes dental software systems to input patient information and treatment plans.
11. Works in coordination with the clinic staff to effectively educate patients on their course of treatment to increase the likelihood of compliance.
12. Provides feedback on an ongoing basis to other staff members, adjusting communication style depending on the receiver of the message, to improve communication and be receptive to feedback from other staff on ways to improve.
13. Ensures that all appropriate forms are completed fully, providing accurate and adequate notes for other providers to follow. This includes completing each portion of the form to ensure appropriate legal documentation, recording oral conditions of the teeth and surrounding tissues, progress and therapy notes, appointments, and type of treatment administered.
14. Advises patients and family members in methods that facilitate a capacity for self-care and a movement towards a healthcare partnership between the healthcare providers, the patients, and their families.
15. Provides helpful information to patients and their families regarding oral hygiene, health habits, and home care, to include maintenance of health and disease prevention, listens for clues that the patient needs additional assistance in understanding the treatment plan or in carrying out the treatment plan, instructs patients at chairside in oral hygiene, brushing and flossing techniques, and periodontal aids adapting them to individual needs, and explains the disease processes to patients and importance of diet in relation to oral diseases.

Education Requirements:

• Must have graduated from an accredited dental hygiene program and hold a valid license to practice as a Dental Hygienist in the State of Alaska.

Hours of Work:

The hours of work are Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with one hour for lunch.  This is an itinerant position that is scheduled to work for weeks at a time as needed. Chugachmiut maintains a drug/alcohol and non-smoking work environment.