Dental Assistant (Casual)

About Us

When people talk about the Flying Doctor, thoughts generally turn to red-bellied planes undertaking rescue missions in the Outback. However, the current Victorian story is one that reflects today's challenges for people living in remote and rural communities across the state. While we do still transport people by air and by road, this work is complemented by a range of primary health services that address the most common issues people living in country Victoria face when accessing health care.

About the Role

The role is so much more than a regular Dental Assistant role! Imagine working in your chosen profession, all while being able to explore parts of Victoria that you may not have visited before; where communities embrace your presence with warmth and appreciation.

The Flying Doctor Oral Health service delivers high-quality dental care to regional and remote communities across Victoria through fixed and mobile clinics, and as a partner provider of Smile Squad, the Victorian Government's school dental program. Our services play an important role in improving access to oral health care for children and adults, who may otherwise face barriers to care.

As a Dental Assistant, you will provide chair-side, administrative and sterilisation support as part of the Flying Doctor Oral Health service, working in line with RFDS service requirements and the expectations of key stakeholders, including Oral Health Victoria and RFDS Federation. The role also supports patient care and safety, infection control, record keeping, scheduling and health promotion activities, and involves travel to fixed and mobile locations across rural and remote Victoria, including primary and secondary school settings.

Key responsibilities include but not limited to:

• Provide high-quality chairside assistance to dental practitioners across both mobile and fixed clinic settings.
• Collaborate with patients, team members and stakeholders to ensure coordinated care and positive client experiences.
• Supporting team members with the set-up, operation and relocation of mobile dental services across Victoria.
• Prepare, operate, maintain and monitor dental equipment, ensuring any faults, servicing requirements or repairs are promptly identified and reported.
• Manage clinical supplies and consumables, including stock control, storage, replenishment and rotation to support efficient service delivery.
• Ensure compliance with infection prevention and control standards through the cleaning, disinfection and sterilisation of instruments and equipment.
• Assist dental practitioners with accurate patient record management, clinical documentation and health promotion activities in accordance with legislative and organisational requirements.
• Promote oral health initiatives and engage with patients, community stakeholders and partner organisations to support health education outcomes.
• Travel regularly throughout regional Victoria as part of service delivery, with occasional weekend stays in regional locations where operationally required.

To be successful, you will need:

• Demonstrated ability to provide effective chairside support to dental practitioners, with a strong focus on patient care, safety and clinical assistance.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build positive relationships, collaborate effectively within a team, and engage professionally with patients and stakeholders.
• Sound knowledge of infection prevention and control practices within a dental environment, including the cleaning, disinfection and sterilisation of dental instruments and equipment.
• A proactive, organised and solutions-focused approach, with the ability to adapt to changing operational requirements.
• Satisfactory completion of safety screening including a current Working with Children's Check, National Police Check, and the right to work in Australia.

Qualifications & Experience:

• Certificate III or IV in Dental Assisting (or equivalent qualification).
• Previous experience providing chairside assistance and sterilisation services within an Australian dental setting.
• Experience delivering or supporting mobile dental services will be highly regarded.
• Current Medium Rigid (MR) Driver's Licence, or willingness to obtain one for the purpose of operating RFDS dental vehicles.
• Current driver's licence and ability to travel regularly throughout regional Victoria, including weekend stays when required.

What working at RFDS can offer you:

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Access to salary packaging options to reduce your taxable income
• Fitness passport - a discounted gym membership to gyms and pools that both you and your family can enjoy
• Access to discounted private health insurance
• Great parental leave benefits in addition to government parental leave.
• Benefit from a highly flexible casual opportunity, requiring a minimum availability of only four weeks annually, allowing you to maintain work-life balance while making a real impact in regional communities.

Need more information?

For any enquiries, please email careers@rfdsvic.com.au using the subject line: Dental Assistant (Casual) enquiry via EthicalJobs.

To access the position description and to apply please click the 'Apply Now' to be redirected to our Career Centre.

Please note that we are unable to accept late applications, or applications submitted via email.

We aim to fill vacancies as quickly as possible. This means that we will close advert as soon as we have found the right candidate, and this may be before the published closing date. We would therefore advise interested applicants to apply as early as possible.

The Royal Flying Doctor Service, Victoria, is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We encourage applications from individuals of underrepresented backgrounds to apply, including but not limited to, those from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, culturally and linguistically diverse and LGBTQI communities.