Hygienist, Public Health Dental

The Public Health Dental Hygienist is a licensed oral health professional that provides educational, preventative and clinical therapeutic services to the public. The Hygienist promotes dental health by completing dental prophylaxis; providing oral cancer screening and radiographic studies; charting conditions of decay and disease; performing procedures in compliance with the dental practice act. This position will float between our Scranton and Mid Valley offices.

REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS

The position reports to the Director of Dental Operations. No staff report to this position.

ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES and FUNCTIONS

While living and demonstrating our Core Values, the Public Health Dental Hygienist will

• Feel lymph nodes under patient’s chin to detect swelling or tenderness that could indicate the presence of oral cancer
• Feel and visually examine gums for sores and signs of disease
• Examine gums using probes to locate periodontal recessed gums and signs of gum disease
• Apply fluoride and other cavity preventing agents to arrest dental decay. Chart conditions of decay and disease for diagnosis and treatment of dentist
• Expose and develop X-ray film
• Make impressions for study casts
• May remove sutures and dressings, administer local anesthetic agents, place and remove rubber dams, matrices and temporary restorations, place, carve and finish amalgam restorations, remove excess cement from coronal surfaces of teeth, all at the direction of the dentist
• Provide clinical services and health education to improve and maintain oral health of school children. May conduct dental health clinics for community groups to augment services of dentist
• Contributes to team effort by accomplishing related results as needed
• Perform other duties as assigned

Requirements

• Meet The Wright Center for Community Health and its affiliated entity The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education EOS© People Analyzer Tool
• Buy in and experience working in the EOS® model (strongly preferred)
• Mission-oriented; represents the enterprise in a professional manner while demonstrating organizational pride
• A degree in dental hygiene from an accredited college or university approved by the Commission on Accreditation of Dental and Dental Auxiliary Educational Programs of the American Dental Association
• PA State Dental Hygienist license required
• Current BLS Certificate required
• Must pass the written National Board Hygiene Examination and the clinical North East Regional Board (NERB) Dental Hygiene Examination
• At least 3 years of full-time clinical experience who is practicing full or part time in a public health setting pursuant to section 51 and who has received appropriate training as determined by the department of public health.