Ozarks Community Hospital·Bolivar, Missouri
The Dental Assistant is responsible for supporting patient flow by bringing patients back, accurately updating health histories, completing intake, and processing diagnostic radiographs. Key duties also involve maintaining the dental lab, tracking lab work, documenting treatment plans, and ensuring accurate coding for billing purposes.
Job Responsibilities
Brings patient back for dental appointment in a timely manner.
Enter/updates patient health history and medication at each appointment to ensure all information is current.
Completes patient intake at each appointment ensuring all information is gathered and entered correctly.
Obtains signatures on dental consents for N20, Rct, Ext, Crown, Dentures/partial or any other consent needed for treatment.
Maintains dental lab work area and completes lab work from start to finish. (When applicable, pours up models immediately, completes lab work order, make certain that the lab case is sent to the proper laboratory and follows up with the patient’s next appointment.)
Track lab items to ensure items are returned from the outside labs in timely manner and are scheduled in timely manner or items that have a step to accomplish in internal lab are completed so patient may be scheduled for next visit.
Reviews treatment plan and fee’s for treatment that require lab cost and review with the patient their estimated fee.
Processes and develops clear diagnostic radiographs.
Charts existing restorations on all new patients and updates watches, treatment and dental charting for comp and periodic exam to include updating provider if needed.
Informs dentist of notable items/events/changes to patient’s oral health, medication list, medical history changes, etc.
Accurately documents and creates treatment plans and goes over treatment and cost with the patient or parent/guardian.
After a child’s appointment is completed takes the child to the parent and goes over what happened during that procedure as well as reviews any dental treatment that is still needed.
Has the follow up information noted for the front desk to ensure the correct appointment is scheduled for the next visit.
Ensures the correct ICD 10 codes are entered into the dental superbill before walking the patient to the front desk.
Accurately adds ICD 10 codes into Open Dental to ensure it matches the dental superbill.
Accurately creates and documents all information pertaining to the appointment in office software to include pain level and smoking status with few corrections.
All dental notes are completed in Open Dental before leaving each day to allow the provider to review and sign in a timely manner.
Maintains high level of infection control through appropriate use of infection control barriers, appropriate clothing, avoiding cross contamination of sterile/disinfected with non sterile/non disinfected, and follows OCHC policies on sterilization and disinfection.
Ensures set up (to include appropriate instruments, air/water syringe, low/high speed suction, infection control barriers, etc.) for patient visit is complete before seating patient
Maintains a full component of supplies in operatories at all times
At all times safely and efficiently operates equipment and other processing devices including but not limited to radiographic equipment (IE Nomad/Pano/ScanX/Phosphor plates/Etc.), Autoclave, Statim, Ultrasonic, Lathe, curing lights, suction devices, hand pieces, vacuum, operatory units-air/water/power. And notifies provider or administrative lead of any issues promptly.
Safely and efficiently operates the nitrous/oxygen portable unit where applicable and replaces N2o and o2 when empty as well as reports to manager/lead assistant to order more.
Ensures a full component of supplies is maintained in the clinic/operatories and notifies office manager of any additional or new need, as well as pulls tags when stocking operatories and placing in the order box to ensure the low supplies gets re-ordered
Works well with other dental staff members as a team, watches all chairs at all time to jump in and helping turn over rooms, setup rooms, as well as pulling back patients, getting the intake completed and/or x-rays to help out other staff.
Wears radiation badge at all times and monthly updates badge using Instadose reading on the iPad.
Accurately documents and creates all referrals per Provider instruction ensuring their insurance is accepted and all x-rays are taken that are required and current.
Ensure all clearance letters, pre-medication or any other documentation needed are in patients' chart and documented appropriately in Open Dental before appointments.
Ensure all follow up calls to patients, other clinics or medical providers are completed in a timely manner and documented.
Willingly travels to other dental locations in the area to fill in, assist or attend meetings.
When downtime helps others out or finds work to stay busy.
Attends and actively participates in morning huddles, monthly and annual trainings.
Candidates must possess a High School Diploma or equivalent and must pass annual competencies, with a current BLS for Healthcare Providers CPR certification required. One year of dental assistance experience is preferred, along with basic computer and typing skills.
Market context
Dental assistant openings in Missouri are commonly tied to steady patient volume in general and specialty practices, making roles like this consistently relevant. Competition often centers on candidates who already have chairside experience, current BLS certification, and comfort with basic computer and typing tasks. Review the AI-summarized requirements and benefits on this platform to save research time, then confirm your CPR status and prepare examples of prior dental assisting work before applying.
