Orthodontic Assistant

Responsible for assisting the orthodontist in the delivery of patient care and support duties.

Responsibilities:

• Clinical Assisting
• Delivery of Patient Care
• Taking and Developing X-rays
• Treatment Documentation
• Sterilization Procedures
• Patient Education and Motivation
• Practice Promotion
• Laboratory Duties
• Miscellaneous Duties

Clinical Duties

• Prepare and maintain dental instruments, supplies and equipment.
• Preparation of dental materials and appointment procedural setups
• Greet and seat patients.
• Evaluate patient oral hygiene and cooperation.
• Collect and record patient health histories.
• Take dental records, including x-rays, impressions, digital scans, and print images/photographs.
• Take bite registrations.
• Prepare teeth for bonding.
• Assist the doctor with bonding.
• Place and remove separators.
• Fit bands.
• Initial seating of appliances.
• Assist cementing bands and banded appliances.
• Check for loose bands and brackets at every appointment.
• Remove, size, and place archwires.
• Remove bands and brackets.
• Remove banding cement.
• Remove bonding adhesive with a hand instrument
• Accurately record procedures and treatment notes in patient treatment card.
• Provide patient instructions and communication.
• Dental Infection Control.
• Follow the dental office infection control plan to comply with OSHA, CDC, and local standards,
• Clean, sterilization/disinfection, and re-circulate instruments.
• Disinfect treatment area and units.

Patient Management

• Deliver patient personal oral care, appliance and elastic instructions.
• Encourage, educate and motivate patients to follow doctor’s recommendations.
• Educate parents and patients on treatment progress.

Practice Promotion

• Implement approaches to attract a constant flow of new patients and to maximize referrals.
• Maintain good relationships with referring dentists and other professionals in the community.
• Support friends and family of current patients who could benefit from orthodontics to make an exam appointment.

Laboratory Procedures

• Pour impressions to make stone and plaster models.
• Trim Models
• Fabricate clear retainers and bleaching trays
• Miscellaneous Procedures
• Inventory management
• Equipment/instrumentation management
• Preparation of oral hygiene/deband kits, brackets, etc.
• Organization, cleaning, and stocking drawers/cabinets and work areas
• Maintenance of sterilization area, solutions and equipment
• OSHA management
• Practice promotion such as: design and implementation of patient contents, deliver community dental health presentations.
• Study model management
• Indirect bonding preparation and other laboratory duties
• Organize progress reviews for all patient’s mid-treatment. Take pan.
• Coordinate, publicize, and follow through on patient contests.
• Organize the gift given to patients on their deband date.
• At deband visit, have patient sign thank you card to parents.
• At the doctor’s request, send patient records for consultation with oral surgeon or other specialists. Arrange appointments with any specialists needed. Send extraction/disking requests as well as requests for panos, etc.
• Monitor and track emergency appointments.
• Care calls daily (commenting on something discussed during treatment or on the treatment performed.
• Be certain cooperation letters, deband letters, etc. are posted and sent when appropriate.
• Be responsible for cleanliness of the clinical area.
• Be an active participant in staff meetings and committee meetings.
• Perform other tasks as assigned by the doctor.
• Work cohesively with fellow team members to provide an atmosphere of trust, mutual respect, and cooperation.

Education / Experience:

• Xray certification
• CPR certificate

Skills / Abilities:

• Clinical: Proficiency in all clinical skills
• Interpersonal: Good interpersonal skills to maintain smooth running team
• environment throughout the office.
• Verbal Skills: Effective verbal skills to communicate to Doctor, referring dentists, parents, and patients.
• Computer Skills: Proficiency in electronic treatment card and Microsoft Word. Computer entry, patient tracking, imaging.
• Problem Solving: Effective conflict resolution, problem identification, problem resolution, and decision-making skills.

Physical Attributes of Job:

• Must be able to lift up to 40 pounds.
• Must be able to hear staff on the phone and those who are served in-person, and speak clearly in order to communicate information to clients and staff.
• Must have normal vision or use of glasses/corrective lenses to bring vision to normal.
• Must have high manual dexterity
• Must be able to reach above the shoulder level to reach, must be able to bend, squat and sit, stand, stoop, reach, kneeling, twist/turn.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $20.00 - $23.00 per hour

Expected hours: 36 – 40 per week

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Bereavement leave
• Health insurance
• Paid jury duty
• Paid sick time
• Paid time off
• Paid training
• Profit sharing

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday

Experience:

• patient care/ client: 1 year (Preferred)

Ability to Relocate:

• Charleston, SC 29412: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: In person