Registered Dental Hygienist

Overview:
Our Harbor Dentistry Registered Dental Hygienist provides preventive oral care by cleaning teeth, examining patients for signs of oral diseases, and educating them on proper dental hygiene practices.

POSITION SUMMARY

At Harbor Dentistry, our hygienist plays a vital role in keeping our patients healthy and smiling. With gum disease so common, your focus on prevention makes a real difference in people’s lives. You help our patients understand their oral health, support the doctor’s treatment plans, and build strong, trusting relationships along the way.

As our hygienist, you’ll help guide a hygiene program that keeps patients on track with regular visits and provides thoughtful, effective care for gum health. Your work helps ensure our patients get the personalized, preventive care they deserve — and keeps our practice focused on what matters most: healthy, happy smiles for life.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

Must be able to meet the physical requirements and demands of an active position, including but not limited to: extended durations of standing, walking, stooping, bending and sitting; manual dexterity; good eye-hand coordination; visual abilities (depth perception, ocular focus, close vision, color vision, and peripheral vision), and adequate hearing to perform daily work.

JOB SPECIFICATIONS

Must have a valid hygiene license for this state (RDH)
Must have current CPR card and first aid experience
X-ray certification
Anesthesia certification
OSHA Training

COMPETENCIES

Exceptional human relations and communication skills
Ability to treat patients of all ages
Ability to handle conflict and get along with people
Ability to maintain outgoing, friendly attitude with patients and staff even under pressure
Ability to speak, understand and write fluent and grammatically correct English
Knowledge of organizational filing procedures and systems
Ability to work unsupervised

SKILLS

Facilitation and problem solving skills to develop a hygiene department that performs quality care in a comfortable, non-threatening environment.
Leadership skills to encourage clinical adeptness, teamwork and communication with patients
Presentation skills to develop preventive attitudes and knowledge in every patient
Professionalism, discretion, integrity, honesty, and dedication

SPECIFIC DUTIES

Patient Management:
Takes initiative to seat patients at the appropriate time and help to keep the doctor on schedule
Effectively manages own time and workspace
Checks on patient comfort during treatment and helps to dispel patient anxiety
Communicates with patients in an understandable and professional way about their treatment needs and recommendations
Understands professional conduct with patients
Reviews daily schedule in preparation for the huddle for outstanding treatment and recommendations needed to discuss with patients and for any issues or concerns that can be dealt with to improve schedule flow, treatment acceptance, and patient care
Reviews patient health and dental history forms and update as necessary
Accurately charts each patient’s periodontal health
Evaluates the periodontal status of every patient and communicates concerns on any level with the doctor
Performs thorough and gentle prophylaxis, scaling, root planing and polishing for patients as appropriate
Administers local anesthetic
Takes diagnostic quality radiographs of patients as prescribed by doctor following practice protocol for standard of care
Applies cavity-preventive agents, such as fluorides
Accurately and appropriately records provided treatment and recommended treatment per practice protocol
Provides nutritional therapy and/or oral instructions as it relates to tissue management
Educates patients on the benefits of ideal periodontal health and offer encouragement to motivate patients to remain or get healthy
Converts prior “prophy” patterns to ideal treatment whenever necessary
Promotes ideal dentistry by discovering areas of concern and documents and communicates these to the doctor
Discusses previously diagnosed treatment that remains incomplete with patients and builds value for the doctor’s recommendations for care
Provides the doctor with patient information using the “hand-off” approach
Utilizes the intra-oral camera to educate patients on oral health and the need for restorative care
Performs other tasks assigned by the doctor
Effectively and clearly communicates with front office team members

Treatment Room Management and Sterilization:
Inspects treatment room for cleanliness and organization
Checks and turns on treatment room equipment
Cleans treatment room at the end of the day and turn off equipment
Reviews, selects and submits orders for patient education materials for the practice
Submits supply orders to the DA as necessary
Follows OSHA and infection control procedures for room cleanliness
Helps with sterilization when time allows
Stores instruments and trays in appropriate place when time allows
Maintains equipment including keeping instruments sharp

Records Management:
Handles patient records in compliance with office policies and procedures and applicable legal requirements, such as HIPAA regulations
Accurately records medical and dental histories

Office Participation:
Works as a unit with doctor toward practice growth as it pertains to hygiene department, treatment acceptance, and team morale
Is a good example to patients and coworkers and maintain high standards and best intentions
Good interpersonal skills to maintain effective rapport with patients, doctor and coworkers
Effective verbal skills to communicate with patients and staff
Is an active participant in team meetings
Adheres to practice philosophy for No Gossip rule
Promotes team concept by interacting with others in the office
Promotes the practice with enthusiasm and represents the practice philosophy for patient care and teamwork
Cheerfully and without hesitation assists other departments and performs back up duties as needed and/or requested
Participates in team-related / office-related events and activities that encourage practice growth

https://www.harbordentalpractice.com/