Dental Hygienist

Division : Eskenazi Health

Sub-Division : FQHC

Req ID : 23951

Schedule : Full Time

Shift : Days

Eskenazi Health serves as the public hospital division of the Health & Hospital Corporation of Marion County. Physicians provide a comprehensive range of primary and specialty care services at the 333-bed hospital and outpatient facilities both on and off of the Eskenazi Health downtown campus including at a network of Eskenazi Health Center sites located throughout Indianapolis.

FLSA Status

Non-Exempt

Job Role Summary

The Dental Hygienist is responsible for the direct provision of oral hygiene and appropriate preventive services to dental patients of the center. The Dental Hygienist will also be responsible for providing appropriate oral health information to individuals and groups. This position promotes dental health by completing dental prophylaxis; providing oral cancer screening and radiographic studies; charting conditions of decay and disease; and performing procedures in compliance with the dental practice act. The Dental Hygienist travels and fills in at other Eskenazi Health Center (EHC) Dental sites as needed.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities

• Prepares treatment room for patient by adhering to prescribed procedures and protocols.
• Prepares patient for dental hygiene treatment by welcoming, soothing, seating, and draping patient.
• Provides information to patients and employees by answering questions and requests.
• Maintains instrumentation for dental hygiene treatment by sharpening, sterilizing, and selecting instruments.
• Selects materials and equipment for dental hygiene visit by evaluating patient's oral health.
• Assists in the oral health management of all clinic patients.
• Obtains baseline oral hygiene assessment data based upon accepted principles of oral hygiene and periodontal care.
• Provides clinical oral hygiene services including dental prophylaxis, scaling, sealant application and fluoride application consistent with accepted professional practices and standards and in compliance with applicable state law and the center's clinical protocols.
• Detects disease by completing oral cancer screening; feeling and visually examining gums; using probes to locate periodontal disease and to assess levels of recession; exposing and developing radiographic studies.
• Arrests dental decay by applying fluorides and other cavity-preventing agents.
• Maintains patient appearance and ability to masticate by fabricating temporary restorations; cleaning and polishing removable appliances; placing, carving, and finishing amalgam restorations; removing cement from crowns and bridges.
• Helps dentist manage dental and medical emergencies by maintaining CPR certification, emergency drugs and oxygen supply, and directory of emergency numbers.
• Educates patients by giving oral hygiene and plaque control instructions and postoperative instructions; providing reminders of time of next dental hygiene visit.
• Records patient-hygienist transactions as they occur in the patient's dental record so that the dental record accurately and completely reflects the nature of the contact, the condition of the patient and the care or treatment provided.
• Maintains patient confidence and protects operatories by keeping information confidential.
• Maintains safe and clean working environment by complying with procedures, rules, and regulations.
• Protects patients and employees by adhering to infection-control policies and protocols.
• Ensures operation of dental equipment by completing preventive maintenance requirements; following manufacturer's instructions; troubleshooting malfunctions; calling for repairs; maintaining equipment inventories; evaluating new equipment and techniques.
• Maintains dental supplies inventory by checking stock to determine inventory level; anticipating needed supplies; placing and expediting orders for supplies; verifying receipt of supplies.
• Conserves dental resources by using equipment and supplies as needed to accomplish job results.
• Integrates appropriate patient dental hygiene care with other health care professionals involved in the patient's health care management.
• Performs independent procedures as delegated and directed by a dentist in accordance with state regulations and law as well as Dental Department protocol and directive.

Job Requirements

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

Assess age-specific and population-specific needs of patients.

Accredited by The Joint Commission and named as one of Indiana's best employers by Forbes magazine for two consecutive years and the top hospital in the state for community benefit by the Lown Institute, Eskenazi Health's programs have received national recognition while also offering new health care opportunities to the local community. As the sponsoring hospital for Indianapolis Emergency Medical Services, the city's primary EMS provider, Eskenazi Health is also home to the first adult Level I trauma center in Indiana, the only verified adult burn center in Indiana and Sandra Eskenazi Mental Health Center, the first community mental health center in Indiana, just to name a few.