Dental Support Specialist

Aria Community Health Center•Tulare, CA

1d•$24 - $25

About The Position

At ACHC, we are committed to improving the health and well-being of our communities. As a Federally Qualified Health Center and licensed primary care clinic, we provide comprehensive medical and dental services, along with specialized care in Chiropractic, Internal Medicine, Neurology, Pediatrics, Psychology, Podiatry, and Optometry. With clinics located across Fresno, Kings, and Tulare counties, our team works together to deliver accessible, high-quality care to every patient. Under the direction of the Dental Supervisor/Manager and Dental Clinic Operations Manager, the Dental Support Specialist (DSS) will function as a circulating assistant in dental back office and front office responsibilities. The Dental Support Specialist must be knowledgeable in all dentistry procedures, clinic infection control procedures, cleaning and sterilization of instruments, tray setup, and materials as well as front office responsibilities, including, but not limited to, patient scheduling, insurance verification, daily patient payment reconciliation, managing phone lines and appointment confirmations . RESPONSIBILITIES: The Dental Support Specialist performs many tasks requiring both interpersonal and technical skills. Essential functions, as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act, may include any of the following tasks, knowledge, skills, and other characteristics. The list that follows is not intended as a comprehensive list, but rather to provide a representative summary of the major duties and responsibilities. Incumbent(s) may not be required to perform all duties listed, and may be required to perform additional, position-specific tasks.

Requirements

Understands the importance of maintaining confidentiality; able to maintain confidentiality under HIPAA standards.
Understand the importance of following CDC infection control protocols.
Must have the ability to exercise a high degree of diplomacy and tact; excellent customer services and interpersonal communication skills; Cultural sensitivity and demonstrated ability to work with diverse people groups.
Intermediate to advanced phone skills; able to effectively relate via the telephone and in-person to serve the needs of ACHC patients/clients/visitors in a manner that is efficient and productive.
Must be highly flexible; able to accommodate changing needs of the department.
Well-developed verbal and written communication skills in English and Spanish is preferred.
Additional language abilities are desirable.
Knowledge of basic math and modern office procedures.
Ability to work well under pressure with minimal supervision.
Proven flexibility and willingness to handle a variety of tasks.
Basic to intermediate computer knowledge and skills.
Registered Dental Assistant licensed by the State of California.
Coronal Polish Certification.
Radiation Safety Certification or completion of a radiation safety course approved
Current BLS CPR Certification.
High School Diploma or equivalent, GED.
Hearing: Sufficient to engage with patients and staff in person and by telephone.
Speaking: Clear verbal communication to convey medical and operational information.
Vision: Visual acuity adequate for reading printed materials and viewing electronic screens.
Cognitive Abilities: Aptitude to complete tasks, including abilities such as learning, remembering, focusing, categorizing, and integrating information for decision-making, problem-solving, and comprehending.
Motor Function & Mobility: Ability to move within the work environment to complete tasks and interact with others.
Occasional lifting and carrying of items up to 10 pounds without assistance.
Frequent standing, sitting, bending, reaching, and other movements typical of a standard workday.
Regular use of hands and fingers for typing, writing, operating tools or equipment, and handling materials.
Some pushing and pulling required during daily tasks.

Nice To Haves

Well-developed verbal and written communication skills in English and Spanish is preferred.
Additional language abilities are desirable.

Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of the Staff Dentists, possess the skills necessary to perform Registered Dental Assistant duties as per State of California licensing guidelines.
Ability to perform standard and radiographic methods.
Expose, process, and mount diagnostic radiographs (X-rays).
Obtaining patient's medical history and vitals at every visit.
Helping patients feel comfortable before, during and after dental treatment.
Providing patients with post-operative instructions for oral care following surgery or other dental treatment procedures, such as the placement of a restoration (filling).
Educating our patients on appropriate oral hygiene strategies to maintain oral health; (e.g., tooth brushing, flossing and nutritional counseling).
Taking preliminary or opposing arch impressions of patient’s teeth for study casts only (models of teeth).
Performing office management tasks that require the use of a personal computer.
Managing inventory to ensure First In First Out (FIFO) rule is followed; expiration dates are checked monthly, ordering supplies as needed to maintain supplies stocked.
Maintaining accurate and current dental logs to include but not limited to: Dental Autoclave Load log, Autoclave Cleaning Log, Spore Test Log, Dental Waterline Testing Log.
Ability to perform all phases of four (4) handed Dental Assisting duties for endodontics, oral surgery, pedodontics, prosthodontics and restorative procedures.
Familiarity with dental terminology, materials, medications, and instruments used during dental procedures.
Follows Infection Control protocols as outlines in the Sterilization policy and Standard Operating Procedure(SOP) on Dental Sterilization.
Preparing and sterilizing instruments and equipment.
Perform the following supportive tasks to ensure efficiency of patient flow: Clean, sterilize instruments, and set up trays. Stock and store all supplies and materials. Maintenance and testing of equipment (sterilizer, x-ray dosimetry, x-ray processor, etc.) including daily lubrication of equipment. Pouring up models and other lab procedures.
Documentation of exam findings in patient electronic dental record.
Maintain clean, orderly and well stocked operatories and laboratory.
Ability to plan work duties to ensure dental clinic efficiency.
Work in conjunction with Staff Dentists/Dental Coordinator to develop and implement preventive dental activities for the community.
Other duties as assigned by supervisor.
Greet and welcome all patients and visitors in a manner that is helpful and friendly.
Performs clerical functions to include correspondence, typing, copying, faxing, data entry, and ordering front office supplies.
Phone handling including answer phone lines, schedules appointments, appointment confirmation, and conduct patient recalls.
Insurance verification, obtaining insurance breakdown of benefits, and identifying potential patient payment requirements.
Scrub scheduled dental appointments in advance to ensure pertinent information is captured.
Completes patient registration and check-in procedures as patients present themselves for the dental appointment.
Ensure all patient demographics are reviewed and updated at every visit.
Ensures all necessary forms, insurance cards, and eligibility verifications are obtained, scanned and indexed accordingly and in a timely manner.
Reviews and processes all incoming dental faxes and completes outgoing faxes as needed.
Assist underinsured or uninsured patients to explore options available to them.
Work directly with patients to provide in-person or phone enrollment assistance to eligible patients for a Qualified Health Plan such as Medi-Cal, Covered California, sliding fee discount program, or other Medi-Cal programs for specific services.