Staff Dentist

Job Description

POSITION PURPOSE

The Dentist will render dental treatment, manage their staff, and help operate and promote the dental program. The dentist is responsible for providing dental care services to Haak’u Health Center patients.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES, FUNCTIONS & RESPONSIBILITIES

This list of duties and responsibilities is illustrative only of the tasks performed by this position and is not all inclusive.

Completes limited, periodic, comprehensive, and periodontal examinations on new and established dental program patients; reviews patient's medical and dental history; examines the teeth and periodontium for evidence of gingivitis and periodontal disease; inspects the mouth and throat for evidence of diseases such as oral cancer; prescribes and interprets routine radiographs to identify soft tissues, tooth structures, and dental diseases and abnormalities.

Prepares treatment plans for patients including assessment of the problem, type of oral hygiene care required, nutrition assessment and counseling, restorative and rehabilitative care possible with available resources and the sequence of appointments needed to complete treatment. Makes recommendations concerning optimum dental care so that the patient can make an informed decision on personal resources that may be required to obtain this level of dental care.

Evaluates, diagnoses and properly treats dental diseases and oral health problems of greater than usual difficulty.

Collaborates with HHC and external dental and medical teams to appropriately manage the treatment of patients with significant medical complexities and immunodeficiency.

Provides comprehensive dental services of scope, quality and quantity consistent with HHC and Dental Program policies, including Emergency Dental Treatment, Oral Diagnosis, Operative Dentistry, Periodontics, Oral Surgery, Pedodontics,

Endodontics, Fixed Prosthodontics, Removable Prosthodontics, Orthodontics, Oral Medicine, Geriatric Dentistry, and Dental Prevention.

Provides appropriate emergency dental treatment for children of all ages and routinely provides comprehensive dental treatment to patients > 5 years of age.

Initiates root canal treatment for emergency and established patient populations. Completes simple and surgical dental extractions. Provides patients with appropriate dental crowns, fixed dental bridges, removable partial dentures, and complete dentures.

Provides patient education and chairside oral hygiene instruction including brushing and flossing techniques and use of periodontal aids. Plans and adapts instructions in home care techniques to individual patients. Thoroughly communicates diagnoses, treatment options, and post-treatment instructions.

Works on a rotation with the other staff dentists to provide emergency dental call after hours, on weekends, and during holiday time periods.

Researches current dental literature and regularly attends health center and dental staff meetings to make improvements in the dental program. Provides instruction to nurses, health educators, social workers, nursing assistants, community health

representatives, other medical staff, and schoolteachers in the proper techniques of oral hygiene to be applied to young patients/students, the bedridden, handicapped, disabled and chronically ill patients.

Participates in annual continuing dental education to meet state license requirements and to keep up-to-date on the most current dental materials, techniques, research findings, and standards of care.

Maintains record systems related to patient care and progress notes according to established HHC policies.

Manages daily schedules that require treating patients in multiple dental operatories simultaneously and effectively manages assigned patient population, as well as, daily, short-term, and long-term schedules.

Utilizes periodontal and restorative expanded function dental assistants.

Accepts responsibility and accountability for all patient treatment, coding and treatment notes.

Demonstrates a commitment to professionalism and strives to continually deliver the highest quality of patient care.

Supports and contributes to the mission, vision, and values of HHC and the Department of Dental Services.

Provides indirect leadership and oversight for, as well as technical and clinical guidance and direction to, assigned Dental Assistants on a “one on one,” basis and provides necessary feedback.

Meets with assigned dental assistants to discuss expectations for patient care, teamwork improvement, equipment and supply needs, as well as other concerns or issues that will improve delivery of care and patient experiences. Attends weekly

Pod meeting to facilitate communication between dental assistants and dental assistant supervisor.

Attends HHC meetings as required or requested.

Performs other duties as assigned.

MINIMUM MANDATORY QUALIFICATIONS:

Experience:

No additional experience required outside of completed training program as defined in the education qualifications below.

Education:

Completion of an accredited Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) or Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) program accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation.

Licensure:

Active, unrestricted Dental License from any U.S. State or Territory.

Current, valid, unrestricted Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) License.

· CPR/BLS certification required.

POSITION PREFERENCES

· Bilingual skills in English and the Keres native language.

· Prior experience working with Indian Health Services (IHS), a tribe or tribal organization.

· Native American Preference.Company Description

Haak'u Health Center, formally Acoma/Canoncito/Laguna (ACL) Clinic is now hiring! Please consider joining the Haak'u Health Center team.

Full-time