STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
HUMAN RESOURCES
CLASSIFICATION: DENTAL ASSISTANT
Class Code: 3050-11
Date Established: 07-01-50
Occupational Code: 3-2-3
Date of Last Revision: 12-28-01
BASIC PURPOSE: To maintain dental instruments and
equipment, and to assist a dentist in implementing standard dental procedures.
CHARACTERISTIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
·
Assists a dentist in
performing routine dental procedures on patients in a state institution or
health facility.
·
Sterilizes and
organizes dental instruments and surrounding work areas.
·
Prepares filling
materials for use by dentist in patient treatment.
·
Prepares and files
patient case histories, dental charts and treatment records.
·
Takes impressions and
performs related laboratory procedures for construction of full or partial
dentures.
·
Orders dental
supplies to ensure proper inventory levels.
·
Schedules patient
visits and notifies appropriate staff of pending appointments.
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DISTINGUISHING FACTORS:
Skill: Requires skill in applying instructions
to accomplish different job functions OR in operating machines for a variety of
different purposes.
Knowledge: Requires understanding and using
business or trades vocabulary or basic arithmetic to perform standard operating
procedures.
Impact: Requires responsibility for
contributing to immediate, ongoing agency objectives by facilitating the direct
provision of services to the public or other state agencies. Errors at this level result in
inaccurate reports or invalid test results and require significant investment
of time and resources to detect.
Supervision: Requires no supervision of employees or
functions.
Working Conditions: Requires performing regular job
functions in an adverse working environment containing a combination of
disagreeable elements which impact significantly upon the employee's capacity
for completing work assignments.
This level includes work-related accidents or assault.
Physical Demands: Requires medium work, including
continuous strenuous activities such as frequent reaching, bending, or lifting
as well as performing work activities which require fine manual dexterity or
coordination in operating machines or equipment.
Communication: Requires explaining facts, interpreting
situations, or advising individuals of alternative or appropriate courses of
action. This level also requires
interviewing or eliciting information from state employees or members of the
general public.
Complexity: Requires a combination of job functions
using minimal judgment to perform a variety of job tasks according to clearly
prescribed standard practices and procedures.
Independent Action: Requires making a limited number of
choices in selecting among alternative courses of action under supervisory
guidance and in performing job functions according to a variety of prescribed
policies or procedures.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Education: Graduation from high school or G.E.D.
equivalent. Each additional year
of approved formal education may be substituted for one year of required work
experience.
Experience: One year's experience as a Dental
Assistant.
License/Certification: Eligibility for certification by the
American Dental Assistants Association.
RECOMMENDED WORK TRAITS: Working knowledge of institutional
resident care. Ability to work
tactfully with residents. Ability
to keep records and make reports.
Ability to handle dental instruments and materials carefully and
dexterously. Ability to instruct
others in primary dental care techniques.
Ability to operate X-ray machines safely. Ability to establish and maintain effective personal
relationships with residents, other employees and the public. Must be willing to maintain appearance
appropriate to assigned duties and responsibilities as determined by the agency
appointing authority.
DISCLAIMER STATEMENT: This class specification is descriptive
of general duties and is not intended to list every specific function of this
class title.
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Last Updated 08/12/02
URL: http://www.nh.gov/hr/classspec_d/3050.htm