REGISTERED DENTAL ASSISTANT

About Christ Community Health Services

Since 1995, Christ Community Health Services (CCHS) has provided high-quality healthcare to underserved communities through distinctively Christian service. As a faith-based Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), we serve approximately 60,000 patients each year across our Memphis health centers, offering primary care, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy, and specialty services.

About the Role

Christ Community Health Services is seeking a bilingual Registered Dental Assistant to provide comprehensive chairside support to licensed dentists and hygienists while helping the dental clinic operate efficiently. This role combines direct clinical assistance, approved expanded functions, patient education, language-access support, scheduling, documentation, supply management, laboratory-case tracking, and other administrative responsibilities.

The Registered Dental Assistant helps patients understand dental services, treatment plans, and administrative processes through clear, accurate, and culturally sensitive communication. The employee must also be prepared to provide coverage at multiple CCHS dental locations as operational needs require.

Why Join CCHS?

• Help underserved patients access high-quality dental care and understand their treatment options.
• Use bilingual communication skills to strengthen patient understanding, trust, and continuity of care.
• Work closely with dentists, hygienists, and other members of an integrated healthcare team.
• Apply both fundamental and expanded dental-assisting skills in a mission-driven clinical environment.
• Contribute to a culture grounded in compassion, service, excellence, and Christian faith.

Our Core Values - and What They Look Like in This Role

CCHS team members are expected to demonstrate our core values every day. For a Registered Dental Assistant, they mean:

• Intentional Love - Providing compassionate, culturally responsive care and helping every patient feel respected and understood.
• Devoted Service - Offering dependable chairside support, timely communication, and thoughtful assistance throughout each visit.
• Humble Excellence - Performing authorized dental functions safely, maintaining accurate records, and following clinical standards while remaining teachable and Christ-centered.

What You'll Do

• Provide chairside assistance by retracting the patient's cheek, tongue, and oral tissues and managing moisture with suction and air-water syringes to maintain a clear operative field.
• Obtain diagnostic dental radiographs, including exposing and processing images of the teeth, jaws, and surrounding oral structures in accordance with safety standards.
• Assist with clinical procedures by applying topical anesthetics and medications, placing rubber dams, removing excess cement, placing matrix bands, adjusting orthodontic ligatures, and removing sutures as directed by the dentist.
• Perform dietary and salivary evaluations and follow infection-control requirements in accordance with OSHA, CDC, organizational, and clinical guidelines.
• Educate patients on proper oral-hygiene practices and accurately chart oral conditions and treatment in the patient record.
• Maintain and disinfect dental equipment, including flushing and cleaning evacuation systems according to established protocols.
• Complete required clinical and administrative documentation accurately and in accordance with regulatory and organizational standards.
• Coordinate patient scheduling and recall appointments to support continuity of care and efficient clinic flow.
• Manage dental supply and equipment inventory, place orders, track usage, coordinate maintenance and repairs, and evaluate products and pricing.
• Track dental laboratory cases and communicate with laboratories to support timely case completion.
• Perform all responsibilities within the authorized scope of practice for a Registered Dental Assistant and in accordance with Tennessee requirements.

Treatment Plan and Language Access Support

• Follow guidelines associated with approved treatment plans and OTP requirements, ensuring alignment with payer and organizational standards.
• Provide language translation assistance as needed using clear, accurate, and culturally sensitive communication.
• Help patients understand dental services, treatment plans, follow-up expectations, and administrative processes.
• Support a positive patient experience by reducing communication barriers and improving access to care.

Expanded Functions

• Perform coronal polishing and mechanically polish restorative surfaces in accordance with established clinical guidelines.
• Place and remove provisional or temporary restorations as directed by the supervising dentist.
• Monitor patient status and comfort during nitrous oxide administration, supporting patient safety and regulatory compliance.
• Apply pit and fissure sealants according to evidence-based clinical protocols.

Operational Support

• Provide coverage and support across multiple CCHS dental locations as needed.
• Perform additional duties as assigned to support clinical operations and patient care delivery.

What You'll Bring

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Completion of a Registered Dental Assistant program and expanded-functions education.
• Bilingual proficiency sufficient to provide accurate, culturally sensitive assistance to patients.
• One to two years of experience performing fundamental and expanded duties of a registered dental assistant as outlined by the Tennessee State Board of Dentistry.
• Experience completing dental radiographs and alginate impressions.
• Experience performing clerical and administrative duties associated with a dental office.
• Current registration to practice as an Expanded Functions Dental Assistant in accordance with the laws and administrative rules of the Tennessee State Board of Dentistry.
• Current CPR certification.
• Ability to maintain accuracy and attention while managing recurring clinical and administrative variables.

What Success Looks Like

• Dentists and hygienists receive dependable chairside support that promotes safe, efficient patient care.
• Clinical and expanded dental functions are performed accurately and within the employee's authorized scope.
• Patients receive clear oral-health education and culturally sensitive language assistance when needed.
• Treatment-plan and OTP requirements are followed consistently with payer and organizational standards.
• Patient records, schedules, recall activities, inventory, laboratory cases, and equipment requests remain accurate and current.
• Infection-control, radiograph-safety, equipment-cleaning, and regulatory requirements are followed consistently.
• The employee provides dependable coverage across CCHS dental locations when needed.
• The Christian mission and values of CCHS are reflected in daily patient care and teamwork.

Work Environment

This position operates in dental clinic settings and involves exposure to contagious and infectious diseases, chemical fumes from dental processing solutions, intense dental lighting, and possible burns from autoclave equipment. Travel between work sites may involve exposure to varying weather conditions.

The role requires sitting for approximately 30% of the workday, standing for approximately 30%, and walking for approximately 40%. Duties may include chairside assistance, front-desk and computer work, instrument sterilization, taking radiographs, retrieving files, greeting patients, and obtaining supplies.

Lifting, pushing, or pulling occurs approximately 15% of the time and may involve patients in wheelchairs, supply boxes, or movement of a patient chair weighing up to 30 pounds. The position frequently uses dental chairs, dental radiograph equipment, computers, dental instruments, autoclaves, and processing equipment, all requiring a high degree of hand-eye coordination. Work-related travel between CCHS sites may account for approximately 25% of the position.

What We Offer

• Competitive pay and comprehensive benefits, including medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• Generous Paid Time Off, including 120 hours during the first year, plus paid holidays.
• 401(k) retirement plan.
• Annual paid Restorative Day supporting wellness and work-life balance.
• Mission-driven culture and employee recognition programs.
• Professional development and opportunities to grow within healthcare and dental operations.
• The opportunity to help expand access to high-quality healthcare throughout Jackson.

Make a Difference Through Dental Care

If you are a registered dental assistant who values clinical quality, clear patient communication, and mission-driven service, we invite you to consider joining Christ Community Health Services.

Come serve with purpose. Come care for patients with compassion. Come make a difference in our community.