DENTAL ASSISTANT 2

As a UW employee, you have a unique opportunity to change lives on our campuses, in our state and around the world. UW employees offer their boundless energy, creative problem solving skills and dedication to build stronger minds and a healthier world.

UW faculty and staff also enjoy outstanding benefits, professional growth opportunities and unique resources in an environment noted for diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits and natural beauty. 

School of Dentistry has an outstanding opportunity for Dental Assistant 2.

The University of Washington (UW) is proud to be one of the nation’s premier educational and research institutions. Our people are the most important asset in our pursuit of achieving excellence in education, research, and community service. Our staff not only enjoys outstanding benefits and professional growth opportunities, but also an environment noted for diversity, community involvement, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits, and natural beauty.

The School of Dentistry shares the University’s overall mission to generate, disseminate, and preserve knowledge, and to serve the community. The School is an integral part of the Warren G. Magnuson Health Sciences Center and is an oral health care center of excellence serving the people of the State of Washington and the Pacific Northwest. Our primary mission, through educational, research, and service programs, is to prepare students to be competent oral health care professionals. The School’s research programs contribute to the fundamental understanding of biologic processes and to the behavioral, biomedical, and clinical aspects of oral health. The service mission is to improve the health and well-being of the people of the community and the region through outreach programs that are especially attentive to minority and underserved populations. The School values diversity in its students, staff, faculty, and patient populations. It seeks to foster an environment of mutual respect where objectivity, imaginative inquiry, and the free exchange of ideas can flourish to facilitate personal development, professionalism, and a strong sense of self-worth.

The Department of Pediatric Dentistry at the School of Dentistry has an outstanding opportunity for a full-time Dental Assistant 2.  Under the general direction of the Dental Assistant Supervisor, he/she will be responsible for performing expanded dental assistant duties in a dental or hospital setting.  For example, taking impressions for study models, mechanical polishing to amalgam restorations, placing matrix and wedge, and fabricating, placing temporary fillings.  Instruct students in expanded dental assistant duties, proper utilization of a dental assistance, instrument exchanges and related functions and activities in a dental setting; may coordinate support activities such as patient assignments, scheduling and record maintenance in a dental clinic.  The Dental Assistant 2 will have extensive interaction with his/her supervisor, the Clinic Operations Manager, the Clinic Chief, Department Chair, and/or clinic operations staff.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Clinic Duties
• Expanded dental assistant duties, performed chairside on the current patient population type at the direction of the clinic supervisor/manager or provider(s):
o Give pre and post-operative instructions for after care of anesthetic, extractions, filings, and fluoride treatments
o Pack and medicate extraction areas
o Take and pour impressions for study models, opposing models, appliances and space maintenance such as lower lingual holding arch, band and loop, nance,
tongue/habit crib, night guard, and flipper as instructed by provider.
o Place matrix and wedge
o Remove excess cement
o Fabricate, and place temporary fillings
o Expose and process dental radiographs
o Provide fluoride treatment
o Teach or provide information on oral hygiene and diet
o Assist in the administration of nitrous-oxide analgesia
o Select tooth/teeth shade for anterior flipper or composite build up.
o Acid etch, bond and apply sealant material
o Apply rubber band separators for appliance
o Place cotton rolls, rubber dam, Dri angles and Isolite for isolation
• Orient new staff members and students regarding clinic procedures and policies including clinic workflow and best practices for providers and dental assistants
• Set up/shut down clinic treatment room or operatory for patient visit/procedure
• Coordinate support activities in dental clinics including recommending social services available to patient population and scheduling planned treatments; assigning patient to students, and maintaining patient records
• Assist in various four-handed techniques for example: anesthetic administration, instrument grasps and transfer; take and record vital signs, review and update health history with patients, sealants, head stabilizing, behavior management, Silver Diamine Fluoride treatment, knee to knee infant and toddler exams.
• Effectively perform all duties of a Dental Assistant I
• Perform related duties as required i.e. central sterilization, chairside infection control, inventory purchase and receiving.

Other related duties
• Assist in Medically Compromised Clinic (MCC)
• Assist in the Dental Surgery Center (DSC)
• Other duties as provided in the dental laws of the State of Washington
• May lead the work of Dental Assistants I and other support staff
• May attend and/or participate in clinic operations or committee meetings when appropriate and give feedback regarding clinic operations and patient flow

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

• Completion of an accredited training program for dental assistants; AND current certification as a dental assistant (CDA) OR the ability to obtain same within six months; PLUS two years of experience as a dental assistant. One year of additional dental assistant experience may substitute for required education.

Legal Requirement
Registration with the State of Washington as a Dental Assistant

Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license/certification/registration.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

• 4 days/wk, 10 hr days.

Application Process:
The application process for UW positions may include completion of a variety of online assessments to obtain additional information that will be used in the evaluation process.  These assessments may include Work Authorization, Cover Letter and/or others.  Any assessments that you need to complete will appear on your screen as soon as you select “Apply to this position”. Once you begin an assessment, it must be completed at that time; if you do not complete the assessment you will be prompted to do so the next time you access your “My Jobs” page. If you select to take it later, it will appear on your "My Jobs" page to take when you are ready. Please note that your application will not be reviewed, and you will not be considered for this position until all required assessments have been completed.