Melissa Jelken
McCook Lake,SD
Summary
Passionate Dental Hygienist working in the Public Health sector with an emphasis on health promotion and disease prevention. With over 21 years of dental experience, committed to providing the highest quality care and patient counseling. Strong interpersonal skills that have been recognized for their capacity to build relationships with diverse populations, with a focus on the elderly population. Skilled in developing oral health programs and patient education programs. Effective communicator with success in teaching patients and community about oral hygiene and care. Knowledgeable in identifying oral health issues, like tooth decay and oral cancer, in early stages and communicating findings to dentists for further evaluation, diagnosis and treatment.
Overview
22
22
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Dental Hygienist/Clinical Manager Western Iowa
Aria Care Partners
02.2015 - Current
- Clean patient's teeth to remove plaque and tartar buildup and prevent tooth decay and gum disease.
- Screened patients for signs of oral cancer, lesions, or disease by visually and manually inspecting mouth and gums.
- Preform Silver Diamine Fluoride and fluoride varnish to an average of 20 adults a day.
- Capture patients' dental radiographs and provide to dentist for interpretation and diagnosis.
- Facility engagement focused on educating and encouraging staff to encourage and assist patients with their oral cares.
- Mentor, train, and clinically manage new clinical staff.
- Maximize clinic operation efficiency, by developing methods and strategies that reduce clinic set up and break down time.
- Travel daily to western Iowa counties to perform dental duties inside retirement facility's.
- Collect and organized data for research proposes including chart auditing, and following up with family members, with family with urgent referral.
- Facility presentations focused oral hygiene, through age appropriate OHI, demonstrated techniques for flossing, brushing and home-care.
- Manage inventory of mobile dental supplies and equipment inside my home.
- Assist and document for our clinical Dentists on a regular basis.
- Weekly sterilization conducted inside my home.
- Maintain accurate medical and dental records by documenting important patient data and health histories.
Dental Hygienist
Holland Dentistry
01.2013 - 08.2015
- Provide dental care services to patients: dental prophylaxis, periodontal therapy, oral cancer screenings, and dental radiographs, ensuring patient satisfaction and safety.
- Provided leadership in the office, by being the Team Lead.
- Identify any oral health issues, educated patients on dental hygiene home care techniques, and recommendations.
- Administer local anesthesia and nitrous oxide.
- Zoom whitening with specialized technique known to minimize sensitivity, fabrication of whitening trays, fluoride treatment, sealant application.
- Increased Google ratings by implementing after visit patient experience survey.
- Managed patient re-call system, increased appointment retention rate by 83% to 94% .
I-Smile Coordinator/Dental Hygienist
Siouxland Community Health Center
09.2012 - 01.2013
- Connecting families to dental care: Helping families find dentists and payment sources for dental care.
- Providing dental services: Offering preventive dental services like screenings, fluoride varnish, and risk assessments.
- Educating community: Providing oral health education to community, schools, and daycare's.
- Training medical providers: Training medical providers, direct care staff, and home care providers.
- Building partnerships: Creating referral networks with dental and medical offices, and working with hospitals and health systems.
- Participating in community events: Promoting oral health by participating in community events.
- Coordinating school audits: Completing county-wide oral health school audits.
- Working with Board of Health: Planning, promoting, and sharing reports with Board of Health.
NewPatient Coordinator(Assistant)&Dental Hygienist
Summit Dental
05.2002 - 08.2012
- Assisted dentists with complex procedures, ensuring optimal patient care and treatment outcomes.
- Maintained clean and sterile work environment to prevent cross-contamination and infection.
- Successfully assisted dentist by performing four-handed dentistry and other chair-side duties.
- Sanitized trays, instruments, and surfaces for clean dental office setting and patient safety.
- Maintained dental supply inventory by checking stock to determine inventory levels and placing and expediting orders for supplies.
- Educated patients on proper oral hygiene techniques, promoting long-term dental health.
- Cleaned patient's teeth to remove plaque and tartar buildup and prevent tooth decay and gum disease.
- Conducted dental X-rays for diagnostic purposes, ensuring accurate treatment planning.
- Reduced instances of periodontal disease with thorough assessment and personalized treatment plans.
- Participated in continuing education courses to stay current on industry best practices and emerging technologies within field of dental hygiene.
- Collaborated with dentists to develop and implement individualized care plans for patients.
- Correctly administered local anesthetic and adjunctive therapies such as fluoride treatments and irrigation.
- Conducted patient interviews and gathered patient medical and dental histories, adding to dental charts.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Dental Hygiene
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA05.2012
Associate of Science - Dental Hygiene
Des Moines Area Community College
Ankeny, IA05.2011
Skills
- Proficient in Salesforce, Microsoft Office, Excel, Port View, Outlook, Zoom
- Self motivated and works well independently and on a team
- Confident - Enthusiastic public speaker
- Local anesthesia administration
- Safety and OSHA Compliance
- Diagnostic Imaging
- Electronic Dental and Health Records
- Time Management
- Strong problem solving skills along with developing solutions
- Detail oriented and adheres to deadlines
- Interactions between professionals or organizations
- Strong interpersonal skills and relationship building
- Patient education and prophylaxis
- Daily Travel (mobile dentistry)
Certification
- Dental Hygiene License (Iowa) - RDH-03991
- Dental Hygiene Local Anesthesia License(Iowa)-
LA-2679
- Public Health Hygienist (since 2017)
- Mandatory Reporter Adult/Child
- BLS (CPR) certification
Timeline
Dental Hygienist/Clinical Manager Western Iowa
Aria Care Partners
02.2015 - Current
Dental Hygienist
Holland Dentistry
01.2013 - 08.2015
I-Smile Coordinator/Dental Hygienist
Siouxland Community Health Center
09.2012 - 01.2013
NewPatient Coordinator(Assistant)&Dental Hygienist
Summit Dental
05.2002 - 08.2012
Bachelor of Science - Dental Hygiene
University of Iowa
Associate of Science - Dental Hygiene
Des Moines Area Community College
- Dental Hygiene License (Iowa) - RDH-03991
- Dental Hygiene Local Anesthesia License(Iowa)-
LA-2679
- Public Health Hygienist (since 2017)
- Mandatory Reporter Adult/Child
- BLS (CPR) certification
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