Dental Hygienist - University Dental Clinic

Are you looking for an opportunity to do amazing work helping others? You've come to the right place. Let's make a difference! 

Primary Health Care (PHC) was founded in 1981 by Dr. Bery Engebretsen in Des Moines, IA.  Our mission has remained unchanged since that time, to provide healthcare and supportive services to all, regardless of insurance, immigration status, or ability to pay.  

Based on the needs of the communities we serve, PHC offers a spectrum of medical and dental services including family practice, behavioral health, HIV care and services, and pharmacy. PHC’s Homeless Support Services is the entry point for serving people experiencing homelessness in Polk County. Enabling services are available to help patients with benefits enrollment, case management, transportation, translation, and patient education. We currently have locations in Ames, Des Moines, & Marshalltown. 

As a Dental Hygienist you will be responsible for providing patient care under the direction of the staff Dentists and in accordance with the Iowa Dental Practice Act and the rules and regulations of the Iowa Board of Dental Examiners. You will support organizational success by following assigned workflows to support patient and staff satisfaction, as well as financial success for the clinic. 

What's Great About This Position?

• Use your dental hygiene skills to help underserved patients get the dental care they need and improve health equity. 
• Be part of a compassionate, professional team in a patient-focused dental clinic. 
• Enjoy work-life balance with a 4 day work week. Clinic hours are Monday - Friday 8 AM - 5 PM. Schedule will typically include one weekday off. 
• Work in a collaborative and educational environment for staff and patients. 

What You Will Be Doing

1. Delivers comprehensive dental hygiene services to patients with diverse backgrounds; develops modalities of dental hygiene therapy to enable medically, mentally and otherwise compromised patients to receive dental hygiene services and completes dental x-rays in accordance with regulations.
2. Assesses patients presenting to the dental clinic for preventive services and completes diagnostic procedures as directed by the supervising dentist. Assists dentists at chair side and with business office procedures as needed. Educates patients and families regarding assessment data, treatment plan, pre- and post-therapy instructions, and prevention of future disease, in accordance with patient’s age, educational level, physical and mental condition, and cultural background.
3. Assists with cleaning, disinfection and sterilization of instruments; cleans and disinfects dental hygiene operatory and equipment; sharpens dental hygiene instruments as needed. Follows PHC policies and procedures to minimize risk of radiation exposure to employees and patients. 
4. Maintains and completes dental hygiene patient records.
5. Assists the Program Director with development and implementation of the dental community outreach program. Develops and maintains patient education material for use at chair side and for office display.
6. Attends continuing education programs as required by license and to maintain skills.  Attends scheduled departmental meetings and in-service programs, as requested.
7. Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications You Will Bring

• Graduate of accredited dental hygiene program.
• Organization and time management skills.
• Customer service orientation with strong interpersonal skills.
• Licenses & Certifications: Current license to practice dental hygiene in the state of Iowa; *Current Basic Life Support (BLS) for Health Care Providers Certification recognized by the American Heart Association; *Current Mandatory Reporter Training: Child and Dependent Adult Abuse recognized by the State of Iowa. 

* Must be obtained with Introductory Period if not current.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS

• Minimum of one-year clinical dental hygiene experience.
• Clinical experience and/or educational preparation in working with patients with diverse backgrounds.
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) language skills.

We Take Care of Our People

Your experience and skills determine your base pay. The hiring range for this position is typically $27.62 - 34.52 though highly experienced candidates may earn up to $41.42 per hour. PHC also offers a comprehensive benefits package, including:

• Generous PTO accrual (equal to 5 weeks at end of 1st year) plus paid holidays

• License/certification fee reimbursement

• Paid time off for continuing education & continuing education reimbursement

• Tuition reimbursement program

• 401k with company match

• Medical insurance 

• Dental insurance

• Vision insurance

• Life & disability insurance

• Flexible spending & health savings accounts

• Supplemental accident & critical illness insurance

• Discounts on pet insurance

Visit https://phciowa.org/careers for a summary of PHC’s benefits.

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