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Kaiser Permanente

Integrated healthcare provider and payer platform

Certified Dental Assistant

DentalConfirmed live in the last 24 hours
Full-timeSalem, OR, USANo salary listed

About the Job

Requirements

  • At least one year of experience as a dental assistant, or graduation from an ADA-accredited dental assisting program.
  • A high school diploma or General Education Development (GED) is required.
  • An Oregon Dental Radiation Proficiency Certificate is required.
  • An Oregon Pit and Fissure Sealant Certificate is required within six months of hire.
  • An Oregon Expanded Function Dental Assistant Certificate is required within three months of hire.
  • Basic Life Support certification is required within three months of hire.
  • Demonstrated competence in four-handed dentistry technique.
  • Knowledge and proficiency in using current dental materials, instruments, and equipment.
  • Ability to follow instructions and work effectively under direct and indirect supervision.
  • Ability to organize time and effort effectively.
  • Ability to interact professionally and courteously with patients, providers, and other employees.
  • An excellent attendance record.
  • The final candidate must pass a clinical pre-employment skills test.
  • Must meet minimum contractual availability and employer work requirements for on-call work.

Responsibilities

  • Perform dental-assistant duties permitted by training and under the presence or observation of a licensed provider, including applying topical anesthetic and desensitizing agents as directed; removing sutures and post-extraction and periodontal dressings; retracting oral tissues; assisting with rubber dams; removing debris during procedures; performing nonhazardous extra-oral procedures; inspecting the oral cavity with a mirror; drying root canals with paper points; placing temporary filling material in endodontic access; taking impressions for periodontal night guards; polishing coronal tooth surfaces when cleared by a dentist or hygienist; teaching patients oral hygiene and disease prevention; and placing, adjusting equipment for, and exposing dental radiographs.
  • Support non-orthodontist dentist providers with orthodontic procedures, including selecting and sizing bands; removing fixed orthodontic appliances; checking loose bands and brackets; removing ligature ties and head appliances; placing and removing arch wires, elastics, orthodontic separators, ligature ties, and head appliances; taking intra-oral measurements; and removing supra-gingival orthodontic bracket bonding material with a handpiece operating at no more than 25,000 revolutions per minute.
  • Organize patients' dental records, confirm their availability, and ensure they are ready for provider use.
  • Greet patients, introduce oneself, explain general treatment and the provider they will see in accordance with Kaiser Permanente Behavioral Guidelines, review health questionnaires, and alert providers to conditions that may affect treatment.
  • Promote patients' emotional comfort, build rapport and confidence, and answer patients' or parents' questions about care and services as directed by the provider.
  • Anticipate provider needs; communicate information needed to maintain patient scheduling and flow; and prepare, arrange, and pass instruments, supplies, and materials as requested and required by guidelines.
  • Establish and maintain a clear, clean operating field.
  • Record and verify information in patients' dental records and all required care-related forms and documents according to established procedures and guidelines.
  • Enter, retrieve, and transmit patient-care information through the automated patient and provider scheduling system (TEAM), as required and in accordance with training and guidelines.
  • Respond to medical emergencies in accordance with established guidelines.
  • Expose and process dental radiographs according to guidelines and equipment specifications.
  • Take patients' blood pressure and accurately record it in their dental records.
  • Clean, sterilize, and process instruments according to established guidelines; maintain a clean, orderly, organized, and supplied operatory, laboratory, and instrument-processing areas; and follow infection-control and hazard-communication requirements.
  • Perform preventive equipment maintenance, such as cleaning and oiling, and promptly report equipment that is nonfunctional or damaged to the office manager or supervisor.
  • Perform other duties assigned by office management or supervisory personnel that are consistent with training and experience; follow program policies, procedures, guidelines, protocols, applicable administrative rules, the State Dental Practice Act, and other governing laws and regulations; and maintain required qualifications.
  • When the dentist is on the premises and checks the patient before and after the procedure, place matrix retainers for alloy and composite restorations, polish amalgam restorations, remove supra-gingival excess cement, take impressions for diagnostic models, counter and opposing models, temporary restorations, and intra-oral bite registration for study-model articulation, place and remove a rubber dam, fabricate temporary plastic-type crowns, and assist in monitoring patients receiving nitrous oxide.
  • Perform other functions appropriate for an Expanded Function Dental Assistant as authorized by Board of Dentistry rules and regulations.
  • Provide backfill coverage for core employees for pre-scheduled, next-day, and same-day support on variable working days; travel among the Salem-area Skyline Dental, North Lancaster Dental, and Keizer Station Dental locations.

Desired Qualifications

  • Basic knowledge of sterilization and infection-control equipment.

About the Company

Kaiser Permanente

Integrated healthcare provider and payer platform

Kaiser Permanente runs an integrated healthcare platform that lets members manage and pay medical, premium, and pharmacy bills online. It serves Medicare Advantage, Individual and Family, and non-employer plans, offering options to pay as a guest or set up payment plans. The platform works by presenting a centralized online portal where users can view bills, choose how to pay, and handle multiple types of charges in one place. Revenue comes from premiums and medical services fees, while the service aims to reduce administrative work for both providers and patients and encourage on-time payments. What sets Kaiser Permanente apart is its combination of healthcare services with a single billing experience across multiple plan types, focusing on a user-friendly, centralized payment process rather than handling billing through separate systems. Its goal is to provide a straightforward, reliable way for members to manage and pay their bills, improving convenience and payment timeliness.

Company size
10,001+
Company stage
Grant
Total funding
$7.5M
Headquarters
Oakland, CA
Founded
1945

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