Dental Assistant

Job Description

As a UW employee, you have a unique opportunity to change lives on our campuses, in our state and around the world. UW employees offer their boundless energy, creative problem‑solving skills, and dedication to building stronger minds and a healthier world. UW faculty and staff also enjoy outstanding benefits, professional growth opportunities and unique resources in an environment noted for diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits, and natural beauty.

The School of Dentistry has an outstanding opportunity for a Dental Assistant 2 to join their team. At the UW Dentistry Campus Dental Center, patients receive care by highly skilled, experienced UW School of Dentistry faculty and GPR Residents. Our experienced providers offer comprehensive oral care services to UW students, UW employees, their families, and guests. Patients can find all dental specialties in one convenient location, on campus at the Health Sciences Building.

UW Dentistry Campus Dental Center is committed to the principle of diversity, equity, and inclusion and to providing an environment where every employee feels welcomed, valued, and appreciated.

Desirable candidates for this position must have the ability to work independently and be a reliable team player with a strong work ethic. The DA2 must demonstrate strong interpersonal skills, resolve conflict in a positive manner, and interact with patients, staff, faculty, and students on a professional level at all times. They must also be able to handle difficult situations professionally and use good judgement while upholding the policies of the University of Washington and UW School of Dentistry (UWSOD).

The DA2 reports to the Dental Clinic Manager of the UW Dentistry Campus Dental Center. The DA2 is expected to communicate with their manager when they see areas for operational improvement or ways to improve the safety of the clinical environment.

Dental Assisting Responsibilities:
The Dental Assistant 2 in this position may assist chairside with one provider for long periods of time, as in typical dental assisting, or move from provider to provider to assist them during critical times of their patient care procedures and as needed. The DA2 must have the ability to prioritize work and understand when and how the students or faculty providers need them.

When assisting students, the DA2 should communicate constructively to the student to help them gain as much as possible from their learning experience at the UW Dentistry Campus Dental Center. The DA2 must be caring and helpful yet be able to be firm if people within the clinic are not following the policies and guidelines of the clinic or Standard of Care.

The Dental Assistant 2 will be expected to communicate daily with the clinic faculty and resident providers to develop an excellent working relationship with them. The Dental Assistant 2 assigned in the clinic must be aware of the needs of the providers and assist them as needed.

• Provide excellent customer service to the School’s patients, students, faculty, and staff.
• Aid dental residents and/or faculty in four-handed dentistry and in routine chair-side duties and patient care.
• Provide residents with knowledge and ideas to help aid in the dental care educational process.
• Orient new staff and dental residents to clinic procedures and policies.
• Clean and prepare treatment area.
• Keep all areas clean, orderly, and neat.
• Obtain and mix dental materials.
• Ability to expose digital intra and extra-oral radiographs.
• May conduct inventories and stock supplies.
• Monitor school-owned instruments for breakage and wear.
• Assess replacement needs.
• Monitor and maintain clinic hand pieces.
• Take impressions for study models and opposing models.
• Mechanical polishing to amalgam restorations, clinical crowns and supragingival areas.
• Place matrix and wedge.
• Remove excess cement.
• Fabricate, place, and remove temporary fillings.
• Expose digital dental x-ray images.
• Deliver fluoride treatments.
• Teach oral hygiene.
• Remove dry socket dressing and periodontal pak.
• Remove sutures; pack and medicate extraction areas.
• Assist in the…