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The Lead Dental Assistant is the clinical backbone of the practice — a hands-on chairside expert who also sets the standard for the assisting team. This person delivers exceptional chairside support, keeps clinical operations running smoothly, and mentors and holds the assisting team accountable to consistent, high-quality protocols. The ideal candidate is a proactive problem-solver who thrives in a fast-paced environment, communicates with warmth and professionalism, and takes ownership of both patient experience and clinical efficiency.

Key Responsibilities

Clinical & Chairside • Provide expert four-handed chairside assistance across restorative, surgical, and specialty procedures. • Prepare treatment rooms, instruments, and materials; ensure setups are complete and accurate before each appointment. • Take and process digital radiographs, intraoral scans, and impressions per doctor and state requirements. • Provide patient education on post-operative care, oral hygiene, and treatment plans. • Maintain strict infection control, sterilization, and OSHA compliance standards at all times.

Team Leadership • Serve as the go-to clinical resource and daily point of contact for the assisting team. • Train, onboard, and mentor new and existing assistants on protocols, systems, and best practices. • Create and manage clinical staff schedules, room assignments, clinical time management and traffic workflow to ensure ease and harmony during the day. • Hold the team accountable to standard operating procedures and consistent clinical quality. • Partner with the doctor(s) and office manager to identify and resolve workflow bottlenecks.

Operations & Inventory • Manage clinical supply inventory, ordering, and vendor relationships to control costs and prevent stock-outs. • Oversee maintenance and calibration of clinical equipment; coordinate repairs as needed. • Support smooth daily patient flow and turnover to keep the schedule on time and productive. • Ensure accurate documentation and charting in the practice management software.

Qualifications

Required • 5+ years of dental assisting experience, including LEAD, mentor, or supervisory role. • Current Arizona dental assisting certification / registration and radiography certification as required by state law. • Current BLS/CPR certification. • Working knowledge of dental practice management software (Eaglesoft). • Strong clinical judgment, infection-control expertise, and attention to detail. • Excellent communication skills and a genuine, patient-first demeanor. Preferred • 3+ Expanded Functions Dental Assistant (EFDA) credential, where applicable. • Experience with digital scanning, iTero.

Who Thrives in This Role

• A natural leader who lifts the team without needing the title to do it. • Calm under pressure and organized when the day gets busy. • Takes ownership — sees a problem and solves it rather than waiting for direction. • Sets the tone for a positive, professional, and patient-focused culture.