State of Maryland

DENTAL ASSISTANT TRAINEE (#004227)

- Hourly / - BiWeekly /
- Monthly / $35,041.00-$50,543.00 Yearly


GRADE

ASTD6

CLASS ATTRIBUTES

SKILLED SERVICE     BARGAINING UNIT: D      OVERTIME ELIGIBLE     NCP

NATURE OF WORK

A Dental Assistant Trainee is the entry level of work assisting dentists in the dental care of clients in community health programs, inpatient or residential facilities.  Services are provided to mentally ill or chronically ill patients or clients attending clinics for preventive or treatment services.  Employees in this classification do not supervise other positions.

Employees in this classification receive close supervision from a Dentist or other dental healthcare professional.  Employees are required to observe infection control precautions in order to prevent contamination and the spread of disease.  Employees may be required to physically restrain patients/clients displaying violent or aggressive behavior.  The work may require long periods of standing, walking, bending and reaching.  The work may require lifting and positioning non-ambulatory patients/clients and lifting wheelchairs and other heavy equipment.

Positions in this classification are evaluated using the classification job evaluation methodology.  The use of this method involves comparing assigned duties and responsibilities of a position to the job criteria found in the Nature of Work and Examples of Work Sections of the class specification.

The Dental Assistant Trainee, Dental Assistant I and Dental Assistant are differentiated on the basis of degree of supervisory control exercised by the supervisor over these employees.  The Dental Assistant Trainee learns to perform duties under close supervision. The Dental Assistant I performs duties under close supervision at times and under general supervision at other times depending on the complexity of the specific duty being performed.  The Dental Assistant II performs the full range of duties and responsibilities under general supervision.

EXAMPLES OF WORK

Learns the practices and techniques for the treatment and care of dental patients or clients in State facilities or clinics;

Learns the procedures for rinsing and aspiration of the oral cavity, placing and removing materials for isolation of the teeth and for retraction of the lips, cheek, tongue and flaps;

Learns to sterilize instruments, oil dental equipment, and clean equipment and areas;

Learns to take vital signs;

Learns to maintain and order supplies;

Learns to observe infection control procedures in order to prevent contamination and the spread of disease;

Learns to take patient medical history and record dental procedures;

Learns to interview clinic patients to determine eligibility for income-based services;

Learns to schedule and confirm patient appointments, answer incoming inquiries and greet patients;

May learn to provide basic oral hygiene instruction;

May learn to take oral photographs or x-rays;

May learn to respond to emergency situations;

Performs other related duties.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

Ability to learn dental assisting practices, techniques, preventive procedures, dental terminology, dental anatomy and patient charting systems;

Ability to learn to clean and sterilize instruments and dental equipment according to regulatory guidelines and to observe infection control procedures;

Ability to learn the care and maintenance of dental equipment and instruments;

Ability to learn to place and expose diagnostic x-rays;

Ability to learn to respond to emergency situations;

Ability to work with infectious patients;

Ability to understand and carry out instructions;

Ability to establish and maintain working relationships with supervisors, patients and staff;

Ability to communicate effectively with employees, supervisors, patients and the general public.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education:   Graduation from an accredited high school or possession of a high school equivalency certificate.

Experience: None.

Note: Applicants may substitute experience as a Dental Assistant on a year-for-year basis for the required education.

LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS

1. Candidates for positions in this classification may be required to be qualified to place and expose radiographs and be listed as a Dental Assistant on the roster of the Maryland Board of Dental Examiners within one year of appointment.

2. Employees in this classification may be required to successfully complete training in and maintain a current cardiopulmonary resuscitation certification.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Class specifications are broad descriptions covering groups of positions used by various State departments and agencies. Position descriptions maintained by the using department or agency specifically address the essential job functions of each position.

This is a Skilled Service classification in the State Personnel Management System.  All positions in this classification are Skilled Service positions.  Some positions in Skilled Service classifications may be designated Special Appointment in accordance with the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 6-405, Annotated Code of Maryland.

This classification is assigned to Bargaining Unit D, Health and Human Service Nonprofessionals classes.  As provided by the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 3-102, special appointment, temporary, contractual, supervisory, managerial and confidential employees are excluded from collective bargaining.  Additionally, certain executive branch agencies are exempt from collective bargaining and all positions in those agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.

Employees in this classification are eligible to receive overtime compensation.   An employee who works more than the normal workweek is entitled to be compensated for that overtime, as provided by the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 8-305.

This classification is one level in a Non-Competitive Promotion (NCP) series.  NCP promotions are promotions by which employees may advance in grade and class level from trainee to full performance level in a classification series.  In order to be non-competitively promoted to the next level in a NCP series, an employee must: 1) perform the main purpose of the class, as defined by the Nature of Work section of the class specification; 2) receive the type of supervision defined in the class specification and 3) meet the minimum qualifications of the classification.   

Date Revised

August 24, 2018

Approved By

Director, Division of Classification and Salary

CLASS: 004227; REV: 8/24/2018;

Powered by JobAps