Dental Assistant - SCI Huntingdon

About the role

Are you looking for a role where your skills support important dental care in a unique clinical setting? As a Dental Assistant with the Department of Corrections (DOC), you will play an important part in delivering quality care to inmates at the State Correctional Institution (SCI) at Huntingdon. This position allows you to assist with procedures, prepare equipment, and support the dental team. If you enjoy learning, teamwork, and steady clinical responsibilities, apply today to expand your clinical skills with us!

This position supports dental services at SCI Huntingdon by assisting with clinical procedures, patient care, and record maintenance. The role helps ensure that dental operations remain secure, organized, and efficient. As a Dental Assistant, you will perform the following duties:

• Chairside Assistance: Support dental procedures by preparing tools, charting findings, and providing suction, irrigation, and retraction
• Workspace Preparation: Set up materials, sterilize tools, position chairs, and prepare patients for treatment
• Radiograph Processing: Expose, develop, mount, and evaluate dental radiographs for diagnostic quality
• Impression Work: Take impressions, create diagnostic casts, and evaluate the quality of completed models
• Record Maintenance: File, retrieve, and organize dental records to comply with policies and procedures
• Patient Guidance: Explain preventive care and post-procedure instructions to patients

Interested in learning more? Additional details regarding this position can be found in the position description.

Work Schedule and Additional Information

• Full-time employment, 37.5 hours per week
• Work hours are 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM, Monday - Friday, with a 30-minute lunch.
• Telework: You will not have the option to telework in this position.
• Salary: Selected candidates who are new to employment with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania will begin employment at the starting annual salary of $36,831.00 (before taxes). However, a higher salary may be established in accordance with the applicable collective bargaining agreement.
• You will receive further communication regarding this position via email. Check your email, including spam/junk folders, for these notices.

Minimum Experience and Training Requirements

• One year of experience in a dental office or clinic; or
• Successful completion of an accredited Dental Assisting certificate program; or
• An equivalent combination of experience and training.

Special Requirement

• This position requires successful completion of the Radiation Health and Safety (RHS) Exam as required by the Pennsylvania State Board of Dentistry.
• Currently, since December 12, 2009, the Board’s approved examination is the Radiation Health and Safety (RHS) Examination administered by The Dental Assisting National Board (DANB). Prior to adopting the DANB RHS examination, the Board’s radiologic procedures examination was administered by Experior Assessments/Thompson Prometric/Prometric.

Additional Requirements

• Successful completion of basic training in Elizabethtown, PA is required.
• You must be able to perform essential job functions.

Legal Requirement

• You must pass a background investigation and meet Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) compliance requirements.

How to Apply

• Resumes, cover letters, and similar documents will not be reviewed, and the information contained therein will not be considered for the purposes of determining your eligibility for the position. Information to support your eligibility for the position must be provided on the application (i.e., relevant, detailed experience/education).
• If you are claiming education in your answers to the supplemental application questions, you must attach a copy of your college transcripts for your claim to be accepted toward meeting the minimum requirements. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable.
• Your application must be submitted by the posting closing date. Late applications and other required materials will not be accepted.
• Failure to comply with the above application requirements may eliminate you from consideration for this position.
• All application materials and interview responses must reflect the applicant’s own experience, qualifications, and work. Applicants may use generative AI tools for preparation purposes only. Use of AI to misrepresent or falsify information, or to assist during interviews, is not permitted. Review the Guidance for Generative AI Tools & Job Seekers for additional information.

Veterans

• Pennsylvania law (51 Pa. C.S. §7103) provides employment preference for qualified veterans for appointment to many state and local government jobs.

Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS)

• 711 (hearing and speech disabilities or other individuals).

Additional information

If you are contacted for an interview and need accommodations due to a disability, please discuss your request for accommodations with the interviewer in advance of your interview date.