Lead Dental Assistant

Description

CORE VALUES

The core values of Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas, Inc. (CHC/SEK) are dignity and stewardship. Each staff member is expected to perform their job duties in a way that preserves dignity for our patients and maintains good stewardship of CHC/SEK's resources.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The Lead Dental Assistant supports the dental assistants and the Director of Dental Support Services in daily operations across CHC/SEK dental sites. This role ensures efficient clinical workflow by coordinating patient care, maintaining inventory and equipment, overseeing infection control, and supporting high-quality integrated care delivery. The Lead Dental Assistant collaborates with CHC staff, providers and community partners to ensure patients receive safe, timely, and compassionate care. This position also contributes to care integration efforts by providing screenings, referrals, and serving as a liaison between various clinical team members.

Requirements

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

• Develops and manages dental assistant staffing and training schedules to support clinical operations across dental site locations.
• Collaborates with the Director of Dental Support Services to develop, administer, and maintain annual clinical competencies, training curriculum, and instruction for dental assistants and dental assistant training program.
• Ensures clinical standards and practices comply with all applicable regulatory and accrediting agency requirements.
• Oversees dental equipment maintenance, repair coordination, inventory tracking, and replacement planning in collaboration with leadership.
• Assists Director of Dental Support Services in retraining or remediation efforts to improve areas of improvement for Dental Assistants.
• Serves as a liaison between dental staff and CHC care teams to support high-quality, integrated patient care.
• Maintains effective working relationships with referring agencies, providers, and internal stakeholders.
• Collects, analyzes, and utilizes data to support planning, program evaluation, quality improvement, and problem-solving initiatives.
• Provides direct dental assisting support as needed to ensure adequate clinical coverage and participates in staff meetings and training events.
• Will perform duties of a dental assistant as needed to ensure adequate clinical coverage.

The essential functions listed are not an exhaustive list of every task the employee is required to complete. Employees are expected to perform all other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS

• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• Current Nitrous Oxide Certification required.
• Current Basic Life Support certification through American Heart Association required.
• Graduate from a Dental Assisting Program and four (4) years of dental chair-side experience OR five (5) years of dental chair-side experience.
• Current Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) certification or obtain within one (1) year of hire.
• Must possess a valid driver's license, as travel is required between CHC/SEK Dental locations. Must maintain driving standards- no more than 2 minor or 1 major driving violations within a 3-year lookback period.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Social and cultural sensitivity appropriate to ethnically and economically diverse patient-and employee-base.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the rationale of appropriate patient care.
• Must be organized and able to manage/prioritize tasks to meet deadlines, adapts to change in a positive manner, able to work as a part of a team.
• Communicates through appropriate channels. Use proper chain of command for patient complaints.
• Ability to handle emergency situations calmly and effectively.
• Must be computer literate, especially with Microsoft Office products and be proficient with the Electronic Health Record software.
• Must be able to maintain good inter-personal relationships with co-workers and other members of the health care team and the organization.
• Provide customer service in accordance to the organization's mission.
• Be courteous and respectful when interacting with patients and family members.
• Maintain patient confidentiality in accordance to organization's policy and procedure and HIPAA requirements.

WORKING CONDITIONS

While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is regularly required to both stand and walk; use hands to finger, handle or feel; reach with hands and arms and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to sit. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus. Computer work is frequent. Good lighting and comfortable temperature of ventilation at all times. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. Regular travel is required as part of this position.