Risevoic
Dental Assistant
Company : wellpath
Location : Santa Barbara, CA, 93110
Job Type : Full Time / Part Time
Date Posted : 6 January 2026
You Matter
• Make a difference every day in the lives of the underserved• Join a mission driven organization with a people first culture• Excellent career growth opportunities
Join us and find a career that supports:• Caring for overlooked, underserved, and vulnerable patients• Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging• Autonomy in a warm team environment• Growth and training
Perks and Benefits In addition to comprehensive benefits including medical, dental, vision, paid time off, and 401k, we foster a work, life balance for team members and their family to support physical, mental, and financial wellbeing including: • DailyPay, receive your money as you earn it! • Tuition Assistance and dependent Scholarships• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) including free counseling and health coaching• Company paid life insurance• Tax free Health Spending Accounts (HSA)• Wellness program featuring fitness memberships and product discounts• Preferred banking partnership and discounted rates for home and auto loans
*Eligibility for perks and benefits varies based on employee type and length of service.
Why Us
Now is your moment to make a difference in the lives of the underserved.
If there is one unifying characteristic of everyone on our team, it is the deep desire to make a difference by helping society's most vulnerable and often overlooked individuals. Every day we have the distinct honor and responsibility to show up with non-judgmental compassion to provide hope and healing to those who need it most. For those whose calling it is to serve others, now is your moment to join our mission to provide quality care to every patient with compassion, collaboration, and innovation, to live our mantra to “Always Do The Right Thing!”, and to collectively do our part to heal the world, one patient at a time.
Wellpath sees hundreds of thousands of unique individuals in their facilities month over month and a very large percent of those individuals receive direct clinical care, which includes lives saved by Narcan.
We offer ongoing training and development opportunities for licensed and unlicensed healthcare team members, and have best in class clinical resources for training, education, and point of care support.
How you make a difference
The Dental Assistant is responsible for providing documentation of dental services to the dentist or their designee. This involves maintaining dental charts, keeping records of dental findings, and scheduling patients for dental appointments. By ensuring the accurate documentation of dental services, dental assistants enable dentists to monitor the provision of dental services and provide the best possible care to their patients.
Key Responsibilities
- Provides chair-side assistance during dental procedures, sterilizes instruments, and mixes restorative materials as needed
- Performs intra-oral and extra-oral x-rays, develops and mounts x-ray films
- Maintains x-ray, processor, autoclave, and dental unit(s) according to specifications
- Manages inventory of supplies and equipment, orders supplies and ensures set up of trays for patients
- Completes daily instrument count sheet, performs dental screenings, and maintains cleanliness and sanitation of dental clinic through careful practices.
Additional Details
This position will be on an as needed basis at the Santa Barbara & Santa Maria jail.Qualifications & Requirements
Education
- Requires an Associate’s Degree or Certification in Dental Technology from an accredited school.
Experience
- Must have experience within either a private or public dental practice as a Dental Technician or Registered Dental Assistant.
- Must demonstrate consistent sound judgment with dental decisions within the correctional healthcare environment.
Licenses/Certifications
- Must be able to obtain and maintain CPR certification.
We are an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer
We are committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of uniqueness.
We celebrate a variety of backgrounds and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.
We encourage you to apply! If you are excited about a role but your experience doesn’t seem to align perfectly with every element of the job description, we encourage you to apply. You may be just the right candidate for this, or one of our many other roles.
Deadline to apply to this position is contingent upon applicant volume. Those positions located in Colorado will have a specific deadline posted in the job description.
We are an Affirmative Action Employer in accordance with applicable state and local laws.
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Frequently asked questions
Santa Barbara has a growing need for dental assistants, especially in community health settings. This demand means more openings and competitive recruitment, making it a favorable market for dental professionals seeking stable employment in the area.
In Santa Barbara, dental assistants aiming to work in correctional healthcare often benefit from CPR certification and experience in clinical documentation. Additional training in handling vulnerable populations is highly valued due to the unique patient demographics.
Beyond standard dental assisting skills, proficiency in patient communication and cultural sensitivity is crucial in Santa Barbara. The focus on underserved communities demands empathy, adaptability, and thorough knowledge of dental technologies used in diverse clinical settings.
Dental assistants often manage administrative tasks like maintaining patient records, scheduling appointments, and inventory control. These behind-the-scenes activities ensure smooth clinic operations and proper documentation essential for patient care continuity.
Dental assistants can move into specialized roles such as oral surgery assistance or dental hygiene support. Additional certifications and continuous education open paths toward leadership or clinical educator positions within dental healthcare teams.
Working as a dental assistant at Wellpath involves serving underserved populations in correctional facilities, emphasizing compassionate care and clinical accuracy. The mission-driven culture supports professional growth and offers unique training tailored to this specialized environment.
Wellpath prioritizes inclusivity, teamwork, and a commitment to serving vulnerable patients with compassion. Dental assistants join a supportive environment that fosters autonomy, ongoing learning, and alignment with a mission to positively impact community health.
Dental assistants in Santa Barbara typically earn between $42,000 and $52,000 annually, slightly above the national average due to the region's cost of living and healthcare demand. Compensation often includes benefits like medical, dental, and retirement plans.
Programs that emphasize both clinical skills and patient management prepare dental assistants for correctional healthcare. Training often covers infection control, ethical considerations, and communication techniques essential for working with vulnerable and diverse populations.
Wellpath's dental assistant role integrates healthcare with social impact, focusing on underserved inmates. Unlike typical dental offices, this position demands adaptability to security protocols and a mission-driven mindset to deliver compassionate care in correctional settings.