Summary
The Practice Assistant in the College of Dental Medicine – Illinois (CDMI) assists the dentist and student dentist with examining and treating patients. The Practice Assistant in the Dental Institute is responsible for the day-to-day maintenance of the CDMI’s clinics, including coordinating materials, equipment, and supplies; answering patient phone calls; scheduling patient appointments; and retrieving and relaying patient phone messages to students and faculty. Incumbents in this position work in multiple areas within the CDMI’s clinics on a rotational and/or specific assignment-based system. The Practice Assistant in the Dental Institute reports directly to the Practice Assistant Supervisor and must be able to adapt to work schedule changes based on the hours of the clinic.
Essential Job Functions
Professionalism & Collegiality
The Practice Assistant in the College of Dental Medicine – Illinois (CDMI) assists the dentist and student dentist with examining and treating patients. The Practice Assistant in the Dental Institute is responsible for the day-to-day maintenance of the CDMI’s clinics, including coordinating materials, equipment, and supplies; answering patient phone calls; scheduling patient appointments; and retrieving and relaying patient phone messages to students and faculty. Incumbents in this position work in multiple areas within the CDMI’s clinics on a rotational and/or specific assignment-based system. The Practice Assistant in the Dental Institute reports directly to the Practice Assistant Supervisor and must be able to adapt to work schedule changes based on the hours of the clinic.
Essential Job Functions
Professionalism & Collegiality
- Model and ensure professional and collegial behavior
- Maintain a positive working environment
- Provide an environment of high-quality, open, and respectful communications
- Participate in the cycle of equipment, instruments, and supplies
- Deliver instrument carts to student dentists within the various suites
- Check out the equipment, instruments, and supplies for the student dental provider
- Schedule and confirm appointments with the goal of optimizing clinic utilization. Among other tasks, it will include the systematic review of various student schedules, the review of reports for patients with overdue appointments, and proactively facilitating the clinic schedule to ensure that available clinic times are utilized.
- Keep treatment records.
- Report malfunctioning equipment to appropriate personnel.
- Identify and report general maintenance problems.
- Assure presence of necessary materials.
- Request and maintain the materials and supplies necessary for day-to-day operation
- Assure adherence to all clinic policies, including infection control guidelines
- Participate in instrument, equipment, and supply coordination.
- Receive, greet, and prepare patients for treatment
- Acquire digital radiographs, intra-oral, extra-oral, and Cone beam computed tomography
- Assist dental students with the acquisition of the above dental radiographs
- Oversee and demonstrate the correct radiographic technique to dental students and Practice Assistants in the Dental Institute
- Assist dental students in planning and ordering a lab-fabricated surgical guide
- Maintain sterilization and disinfection of radiology instruments and equipment
- Import outside radiographs into the patient's electronic chart
- Assist with dental operatory equipment infection control
- Assist dental students and outside candidates with acquiring radiographs for dental board exams
- Assist with training employees
- Record-keeping of radiation dosimetry
- Facilitate the daily working of the radiology clinic and assist the radiology faculty
- Function as an integral component in the quality assurance of the College of Dental Medicine - Illinois.
- Work with student dentists, staff, and faculty to assure adherence to all clinic policies and regulatory requirements such as infection control guidelines, OSHA standards, and HIPAA privacy and security protocols.
- Provide information on violations of clinic policies to the management
- Responsible for the dispensing, collecting, and processing of dental instruments, equipment, and consumable supplies utilized in the College of Dental Medicine - Illinois clinics for the treatment of patients, both real and simulated, as well as for the education of student doctors.
- Prepare and process instruments, supplies, and equipment.
- Clean, disinfect, sterilize, package, and restock instruments, supplies, and equipment.
- Utilize aseptic techniques when handling instruments, equipment, and supplies.
- Track, inventory, and dispense dental instruments, supplies, and equipment.
- Package and sterilize disposable supplies such as gauze, cotton rolls, and cotton pellets.
- Assist with data entry, ordering, and sorting clinical supplies.
- Assists with maintaining the organization, cleanliness, and general appearance of the sterilizing and dispensing rooms and their related storage facilities.
- Maintain the stock of supplies needed to properly run the sterilizing and dispensing rooms, such as autoclave bags, tape, towels, patients’ drapes, caps, etc.
- Assist in the training of new employees
- Educate staff, faculty, and students about sterilization and infection control issues
Provide chair-side dental assistance when required. While this is not an exhaustive list, the Practice Assistant in the Dental Institute will:
- Transfer dental instruments
- Adjust the equipment to the proper position
- Manipulate and transfer dental materials
- Retract soft tissue
- Evacuate the oral cavity of debris to maintain a clear field of operation
- Make diagnostic-quality radiographic images
- Set up and maintain dental cubicles
- Utilize aseptic techniques
- Follow up on proper infection control guidelines
- Demonstrate four-handed dentistry
- Place rubber dams on teeth to isolate them for individual treatment
- Prepare materials for making impressions and restorations and make casts of teeth and mouth from impressions
- Make temporary crowns
- Bilingual/fluency in Spanish and English preferred
- Assist with shelf organization for the dispensary
- Assist in the Sterilization Department, as needed
- Dispense items to students and clinical instructors as needed.
- Assist with organization for dispensary and suites
- Participate in Dental Clinic meetings.
- Assist in hygiene and emergencies when needed
- Must be adaptable to shift changes.
- Other duties may be assigned.
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. This individual must have the ability to work in a constant state of alertness and in a safe manner and must have regular, predictable, in-person attendance. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Other Qualifications
This position requires a significant amount of interaction with the public and many internal customers, and therefore, the individual must be able to develop a positive rapport effectively. The ability to maintain a professional demeanor, be detail-oriented, and promote a welcoming atmosphere is essential. The individual must have the ability to become familiar with Dental Software Management Systems. This position requires working knowledge of how to take radiographic series and be able to demonstrate radiographic techniques to students as needed.
Education and/or Experience
High school diploma or GED required. Associate’s or technical certification preferred. 3-5 years of dental clinical practice experience required. Must have working knowledge of digital radiography, with a radiology certification preferred. Must possess or be willing to attain within 120 days a BLS certificate or CPR certification if requested. Must be able to constantly take radiographs that meet acceptable standards for diagnostics and patient exposure. Registered Dental Assistant is preferred. Familiarity with OSHA guidelines. Experience working in a team and customer service-oriented environment. Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Computer Skills
Computer proficiency in MS Office (Word, Excel, Outlook). Ability to become familiar with the Clinic Management System.
Language Skills
Intermediate skills: Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals. Ability to write routine reports and correspondence. Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees of the organization.
Physical Demands
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand, walk, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl, use hands to handle or feel, reach with hands and arms, talk, and hear. The employee is occasionally required to climb, balance, and sit. The employee must frequently lift and /or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. The employee is regularly required to push up to 40 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
Work Environment
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
Midwestern University is a private, not-for-profit organization that provides graduate and post-graduate education in the health sciences. The University has two campuses, one in Downers Grove, Illinois, and the other in Glendale, Arizona. More than 6,000 full-time students are enrolled in graduate programs in osteopathic medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, physician assistant studies, physical therapy, occupational therapy, nurse anesthesia, cardiovascular perfusion, podiatry, optometry, clinical psychology, speech language pathology, biomedical sciences, and veterinary medicine. Over 500 full-time faculty members and 400 staff members are dedicated to the education and development of our students in an environment that encourages learning, respect for all members of the health care team, service, interdisciplinary scholarly activity, and personal growth.
We offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental, and vision insurance plans as well as life insurance, short/long-term disability and pet insurance. We offer flexible spending accounts, including healthcare reimbursement and a child/dependent care account. We offer a work-life balance with a competitive time off package including paid holidays, sick/flex days, personal days, and vacation days. We offer a 403(b) retirement plan, tuition reimbursement, a child care subsidy reimbursement program, identity theft protection, and an employee assistance program. Wellness is important to us, and we offer a wellness facility on-site with a fully equipped fitness facility.
Midwestern University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer that does not discriminate against an employee or applicant based upon race; color; religion; creed; national origin or ancestry; ethnicity; sex (including pregnancy); gender (including gender expressions, gender identity; and sexual orientation); marital status; age; disability; citizenship; past, current, or prospective service in the uniformed services; genetic information; or any other protected class, in accord with all federal, state and local laws and regulations. Midwestern University complies with the Smoke-Free Arizona Act (A.R.S. 36-601.01) and the Smoke Free Illinois Act (410 ILCS 82/). Midwestern University complies with the Illinois Equal Pay Act of 2003 and Arizona Equal Pay Acts.
Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.