Dental AssistantAt — Walnut Family Dental

The Dental Assistant / Public Health Intern will support clinical and administrative operations within a general dentistry practice while integrating public health principles into patient care, education, and community outreach. This position provides hands-on experience in dental assisting as well as exposure to real-world public health concepts including health education, disease prevention, quality improvement, cultural competence, and patient navigation.

Essential Clinical Responsibilities

    •    Assist the dentist during clinical procedures, including instrument transfer, chairside support, and sterilization.

    •    Prepare operatory rooms following infection-control and OSHA standards.

    •    Take and process dental radiographs following radiation-safety protocols.

    •    Review medical histories, document vitals, and identify potential health risks.

    •    Provide postoperative instructions and reinforce provider-recommended care plans.

    •    Maintain accurate and compliant patient charts using electronic health record systems.

Public Health & Health Education Responsibilities

    •    Deliver patient education focused on oral health promotion, including proper brushing/flossing techniques, nutrition counseling, and prevention strategies for caries and periodontal disease.

    •    Assist in developing culturally responsive patient education materials (English/Spanish).

    •    Promote preventive care by explaining the importance of routine exams, sealants, fluoride varnish, and early detection.

    •    Participate in risk assessments addressing social determinants of health that may affect patient oral-health outcomes (e.g., access to care, transportation, food insecurity, insurance barriers).

    •    Support provider-patient communication by ensuring comprehension through teach-back methods, especially with patients who have low health literacy.

    •    Help coordinate referrals to specialists and follow up to ensure continuity of care.

    •    Monitor preventive care trends in the practice and identify opportunities to improve patient adherence.

Training:

The student will receive comprehensive training to support both clinical and public health learning outcomes. Training includes:

· Initial office orientation covering OSHA, HIPAA, infection control, and workflow procedures.

· Direct hands-on training in dental assisting tasks such as sterilization, radiographs, charting, patient intake, and chairside support.

· One-on-one mentorship from the supervising dentist and lead dental staff to develop skills in patient communication, health education, and cultural competence.

· Weekly check-ins with the mentor to review progress, discuss case examples, and connect clinical experiences to public health concepts.

· Job shadowing across different roles (front office, assistants, hygienists) to understand access to care, insurance barriers, and care coordination.

· Training in documenting patient education, using teach-back, and identifying risk factors that affect oral health outcomes.

Learning Outcome:

1. Apply public health principles in a dental setting by identifying social determinants of health, communicating prevention strategies, and supporting patient education to improve oral health outcomes.

2. Demonstrate effective health-education skills by providing culturally responsive and literacy-appropriate oral health instructions in English and Spanish.

3. Assist in quality-improvement activities such as tracking preventive care compliance, recalling overdue patients, and identifying barriers to accessing dental services.

4. Strengthen patient-provider communication by using motivational interviewing, teach-back methods, and patient-navigation skills to support adherence to treatment plans.

5. Integrate clinical dental assisting skills with public health concepts to promote prevention, early detection, and continuity of care.