Dental Assistant, Dentistry

Req ID:
Department/Program: Dental Clinic, Children's Surgical, Emergency and Rehabilitation 
Location: Halifax   
Type of Employment: Temporary Hourly FT long-assignment (100% FTE)  x 1 position(s) - 12 Months
 Start Date: ASAP
Union Status: NSGEU Hlthcare, Healthcare Bargaining Unit
Compensation: $ $ /hour
Closing Date: January 4, 2026 (Applications are accepted until 23:59 Atlantic Time)

IWK Health is a respected academic health sciences centre located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, providing tertiary and primary care for two million children, youth, adults and families each year across the Atlantic region. We have a team of approximately 4000 employees, physicians, volunteers and learners at sites across Nova Scotia. People build careers with IWK Health with our focus on training and mentorship opportunities. We recognize each other's talent and celebrate our successes. We collaborate in modern facilities or virtually from home, align our work to our values, and enjoy access to enhanced benefits and wellness programs. We are proud to support our patients, families and communities and are grateful for the generous donor support we receive.

Promoting an anti-racist environment, and calling out discrimination as we work and provide care, is important to us. We are located in Mi'kma'ki, the unceded and ancestral territory of the Mi'kmaq people. Working in Mi'kma'ki and providing care to those across Atlantic Canada is a shared privilege with the original inhabitants who have lived here for many thousands of years prior to colonization. There are 13 First Nation communities across Nova Scotia, and more than 50 historic African Nova Scotian communities who also have a long, deep, and complex history dating back over 400 years. We have the highest percentage of people with disabilities in the country. Nova Scotia has the highest proportions of transgender and non-binary people than any other province or territory in the country. We are active in our work to eliminate discrimination, but have more work to do to build that trust, acknowledge our biases and reduce the barriers our diverse communities face. We want IWK Health to be a safe and supportive space of equity and belonging in the care we provide and the employment we offer. We welcome all interested persons who self-identify as Indigenous, Black/African Nova Scotians, Persons of Colour, Immigrants/Newcomers, Persons with Disabilities, 2SLGBTQIA+ to apply to support our goal for our workforce to be representative of the patients, families, and communities that we care for at all job levels.

The Dental Assistant assists in a team approach to oral health care for medically compromised and special needs patients, within guidelines for registered Dental Assistants and in accordance with department and Health Centre Policies.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Prepares operating room for all dental procedures.

• Prepares operatories for exam treatment and other dental / lab procedures.

• Assists the Dentists in the operating room during dental surgery and in the Clinic for patient exams and treatment.

• Performs cleaning and maintenance of dental equipment and ensures proper infection control practices and sterilization of dental equipment in clinic and operating room.

• Performs all dental laboratory procedures as required.

• Performs the exposing, processing, and mounting of all dental radiographs. Uses knowledge and skills to perform these radiographic duties with medically compromised and special needs patients.

• Obtains medical histories including medically compromised/complex patients.

• Uses specialized knowledge in caring for our population of patients (medically compromised, complex co-morbidity, special needs patients).

• Has appropriate knowledge to assist Dentists during treatment of a patient receiving sedation/nitrous oxide.

• Documents assessment/actions and patient/family responses to care accurately as per clinic charting guidelines.

• Provides pre and post operative teaching, health promotion, and dental teaching to patient.

• Participates in and promotes dental research within the department and in collaboration with other health team members.

• Demonstrates familiarity with dental clinic receptionist duties.

• Ensures patients and/or family have access to appropriate dental information.

• Provides patient counseling and education on oral health issues.

• Specialized knowledge in assisting dentist with trauma cases

• Performs on call duties as assigned.

• Records workload accurately and in a timely manner

• Operative room booking, waitlist management and monthly reports

• Promotes a safe working environment by identifying and resolving potential risk issues.

• Travel opportunities to a second location may be available for interested candidates

 

75 hours biweekly

• Graduate of a Recognized Dental Assistant Course with Level II Dental Assisting required.

• Registered, or eligible for registration with provincial Dental Board Nova Scotia, as well as membership with Nova Scotia Dental Assistants Association required.

• Successful completion of a Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada Basic Life Support (BLS) program within the last 12 months required or successful completion of a BLS Renewal Challenge Certificate required.

• Recent experience in Pediatric Dentistry required. Experience working in a clinical practice with significant pediatric client base will be considered.

• Competency in other languages considered an asset

Thank you for your interest in IWK Health.

Please note that we only contact applicants selected for interview/testing. If we invite you to participate in an assessment process (such as an interview or testing) you have the right to request accommodation. Please discuss your needs when invited to the assessment process.

This is a Healthcare  bargaining  unit position. Preference is given to bargaining unit employees for unionized positions. Successful applicants changing unions, bargaining units or employment status, are advised to seek clarification regarding their seniority, benefits, and vacation entitlement and/or usage, prior to accepting the position.

An  offer of employment is conditional upon the completion and satisfactory results of all applicable background checks and confirmation of credentials.

If you are an employee of IWK Health, please apply through the internal careers page to ensure you are flagged as an internal applicant.