Dental Hygienist Grade 16 Jobs

Minimum Qualifications:
Associates Degree in Dental Hygiene or a related field required; Must possess and maintain a dental hygiene license from the state of Georgia; supplemented by one year of related experience; or any equivalent combination of education, training, and experience which provides the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities for this job.
Specific License or Certification Required: Must possess and maintain a valid dental hygienist license.
Specific Knowledge, Skills, or Abilities: Must be able to demonstrate proficiency in performance of the essential functions and learn, comprehend, and apply all county or departmental policies, practices, and procedures necessary to function effectively in the position.

Purpose of Classification:
The purpose of this classification is to perform duties related to meeting the oral health needs of patients. This includes such services as cleaning teeth to remove deposits and stains by scaling and root planning. It is also to assist in the prevention of dental decay and gum disease for all patients, as well as taking and developing dental X-rays. This classification is distinguished from Dental Assistant in that the former assists dentists during dental procedures, whereas the latter has independent duties including polishing patients' teeth, removing hard and soft deposits from teeth, and using several instruments to remove tartar, plaque and stains.
Essential Functions:
The following duties are normal for this position. The omission of specific statements of the duties does not exclude them from the classification if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment for this classification. Other duties may be required and assigned.
Ensure that the health history is updated for all returning patients by verbally reviewing the history with the patient, taking blood pressure and pulse, and performing an inspection of the patient's head and neck.
Remove deposits and stains from teeth by scaling and root planning. Sharpen, bag, and sterilize instruments. Identify and select appropriate instruments to remove hard and soft deposits.
Polish teeth and apply fluoride and sealants. Select appropriate polish technique and apply appropriate fluoride. Etch teeth and apply sealants.
Take and develop dental X-rays. Use lead apron for patient protection; understand digital X-ray techniques; expose and process dental radiographs.
Teach patients how to maintain oral hygiene with proper tooth brushing and dental floss.
Counsel patients on proper nutrition and its impact on oral health.
Documentation and office duties such as entering treatment in patient chart, dental and periodontal charting, answering phone calls, and pulling and filing charts.
Additional Functions:
Performs other related duties as required.

Performance Aptitudes:
Data Utilization: Requires the ability to review, classify, categorize, prioritize, and/or analyze data. Includes exercising discretion in determining data classification, and in referencing such analysis to established standards for the purpose of recognizing actual or probable interactive effects and relationships.
Human Interaction: Requires the ability to provide specialized or professional level counseling and medical treatment to others that typically requires certification and/or an associate's or higher degree in a specific field.
Equipment, Machinery, Tools, and Materials Utilization: Requires the ability to operate, maneuver, and/or control the actions of equipment, machinery, tools and/or materials requiring complex or rapid adjustments.
Verbal Aptitude: Requires the ability to utilize a wide variety of reference, descriptive, advisory, and/or design data and information.
Mathematical Aptitude: Requires the ability to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division; the ability to calculate decimals and percentages; the ability to utilize principles of fractions; and the ability to interpret graphs.
Functional Reasoning: Requires the ability to apply principles of influence systems, such as motivation, incentive, and leadership, and to exercise independent judgment to apply facts and principles for developing approaches and techniques to solve problems.
Situational Reasoning: Requires the ability to exercise judgment, decisiveness and creativity in situations involving the evaluation of information against sensory, judgmental, or subjective criteria, as opposed to that which is clearly measurable or verifiable.