CURRENT OPPORTUNITIES

• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Salary Range: $82,000-$88,000

Position Summary

Columbia University's College of Dental Medicine (CDM) is one of the preeminent dental schools in the country with more than 430 faculty, 410 students and trainees, and over 200 staff members. CDM is the largest provider of oral health services in northern Manhattan providing more than 140,000 visits annually.

The Dental Hygienist will report to the Director of Operations, the Dental Hygienist is responsible for providing comprehensive hygiene treatment services to the CDM patient population. Will also assist dental students on the clinic floor with hygiene visits.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities for direct patient care, including, if necessary, in community practice, faculty practice, evening clinic, mobile van 1-2 days a week:

• Patient screening procedures, such as assessment of oral health conditions, review of the health history, oral cancer screening, head and neck inspection, dental charting and taking blood pressure and pulse.
  • Assist in teaching and supervision of dental students during their intake rotations.
  • Taking and developing dental radiographs (x-rays). Removing calculus and plaque (hard and soft deposits) from all surfaces of the teeth. Applying preventive materials to the teeth (e.g., sealants and fluorides).
  • Teaching patients' appropriate oral hygiene strategies to maintain oral health; (e.g., tooth brushing, flossing and nutritional counseling). Counseling patients about good nutrition and its impact on oral health.
  • Making impressions of patients' teeth for study casts (models of teeth used by dentists to evaluate patient treatment needs).
  • Performing documentation and office management activities.
  • Check treatment room for cleanliness and make necessary changes.
  • Maintain a supply inventory for hygiene treatment.
  • Review, select and submit orders for patient education materials for the practice.
  • Submit supply orders to business manager once a month or as necessary.
  • Properly discard all disposable items from each visit.
  • Assemble soiled instruments in appropriate cassettes for return to central sterilization area
  • Assists with screenings, surveillance processes for potential infection issues and monitoring of processes such as hand-hygiene, environmental cleaning/disinfection and others as defined by the risk assessment.
  • Provides ongoing education relevant to infection prevention and control for all staff members, which includes but is not limited to:
    • Available personal protective equipment (PPE), when to use the available PPE, and how to apply and remove PPE
    • Dental unit waterline protocol (between patients, disinfection and water cultures)
    • Use of surface disinfectants
  • Performs other duties as assigned.

Responsibilities for assisting with hygiene visits in pre-doctoral clinic 1-2 days a week:

• Assists faculty in pre-doctoral clinical setting with supervision of students in patient care activity related to periodontal non-surgical interventions (e.g., prophy, maintenance, scaling root planning).
• Supports the faculty with time managing the care and ensuring that students receive excellent educational instruction in the hygiene phase of care.

Minimum Qualifications

• Requires a bachelor's degree or equivalent in education and experience, plus three years of related experience.
• Valid NYS Dental Hygienist Registration Certification

Preferred Qualifications

• Complete 2 year of post-secondary education for an accredited dental hygiene program
• Experience providing prophylaxis and taking x-rays

Other Requirements

• Occasionally must be flexible to work a modified shift in evenings from 4-7pm and Saturdays from 8am-3pm.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.