Class Description and Minimum Qualifications for C1H - Dentist

Class Description

Valid as of: July 1, 2024

This class series uses three levels in the Health Care Services Occupational Group and describes professional level work in the dental care and oral surgery field. Positions in this class series apply the principles, theories, and practices of dental science. By statutes C.R.S. 12-35-101 et. seq., a license is required in this class series. Dentists provide professional diagnosis and treatment of oral pathology for patients in both routine and emergency settings. Dental care includes, but is not limited to, diagnostic, preventive, restorative, periodontal, endodontal, oral surgery, and prosthetic services. The work often involves providing instruction, demonstration, and training to other health care professionals and technologists; providing dental and procedural advice to other organizational units or health care specialties through consultation; and, providing professional advice to management for the development of dental treatment programs and standards for a state agency. Some dentists work in security settings where the positions follow policies and procedures to ensure the safety of themselves and others.

DENTIST I C1H1XX

Concept of Class

This class describes the fully-operational dentist. Duties require applying agency and professional treatment standards to develop individual patient treatment plans. Positions are assigned duties involving the diagnosis and treatment of oral pathology of patients. Dentists in this class plan their workloads and schedules as well as those of any subordinates, help maintain agency compliance with relevant statutes and professional standards in dentistry, refer patients to other specialists as needed, and provide input to supervisors on dental unit policies and procedures, dental treatment standards, and dental unit budgetary and staffing needs.

Factors

Allocation must be based on meeting all of the three factors as described below.

Decision Making 

The decisions regularly made are at the process level, as described here. Within limits set by professional dental standards, the agency's available technology and resources, and dental program objectives and regulations established by a higher management level, choices involve determining the process, including designing the set of operations used to provide dental services to patients and to accomplish other related dental services. The general pattern, program, or system exists but must be individualized in order to apply to patient needs. This individualization requires analysis of patient data that is complicated, for example, by patient inability or unwillingness to cooperate. Analysis is breaking the patient's case into parts, examining these parts, and reaching conclusions that result in treatment processes. This examination requires the application of known and established dental theory, principles, conceptual models, professional dental standards, and precedents in order to determine their relationship to the patient's dental problem. New dental protocols, processes, or objectives require approval of higher management.

Complexity 

The nature of, and need for, analysis and judgment is patterned, as described here. Positions study patient information to determine what it means and how it fits together in order to get practical solutions in the form of a patient treatment plan. Guidelines in the form of agency protocols and professional dental treatment standards exist for most situations. Judgment is needed in locating and selecting the most appropriate of these guidelines which may change for varying patient circumstances as the assessment/diagnosis task is repeated. This selection and interpretation of guidelines involves choosing from alternatives where all are correct but one is better than another depending on the given circumstances of the situation.

Detecting or discovering information or problems by interviewing or investigating where the dental issues or results of the contact are not known ahead of time. For example, a position interviews a patient to identify the source of intermittent pain.

Advising, counseling, or guiding the direction taken by patients to resolve their dental complaints or problems and influence or correct actions and behaviors. For example, a position counsels reluctant patients to convince them to follow the treatment plan.

Line/Staff Authority 

The direct field of influence the work of a position has on the organization is as an individual contributor. The individual contributor may explain work processes and train others. The individual contributor may serve as a resource or guide by advising others on how to use processes within a system or as a member of a collaborative problem-solving team. This level may include positions performing supervisory elements that do not fully meet the criteria for the next level in this factor.

DENTIST II C1H2XX

Concept of Class

This class describes the work leader. In addition to the duties and responsibilities of a Dentist I, work leader positions are partially accountable for the work product of two or more full-time equivalent positions. This level may also include supervision of two, but less than three, full-time equivalent positions. The Dentist II differs from the Dentist I only on the Line/Staff Authority factor.

Factors

Allocation must be based on meeting all of the three factors as described below.

Decision Making 

The decisions regularly made are at the process level, as described here. Within limits set by professional dental standards, the agency's available technology and resources, and dental program objectives and regulations established by a higher management level, choices involve determining the process, including designing the set of operations used to provide dental services to patients and to accomplish other related dental services. The general pattern, program, or system exists but must be individualized in order to apply to patient needs. This individualization requires analysis of patient data that is complicated, for example, by patient inability or unwillingness to cooperate. Analysis is breaking the patient's case into parts, examining these parts, and reaching conclusions that result in treatment processes. This examination requires the application of known and established dental theory, principles, conceptual models, professional dental standards, and precedents in order to determine their relationship to the patient's dental problem. New dental protocols, processes or objectives require approval of higher management or the agency with authority and accountability for the program or system.

Complexity 

The nature of, and need for, analysis and judgment is patterned, as described here. Positions study patient information to determine what it means and how it fits together in order to get practical solutions in the form of a patient treatment plan. Guidelines in the form of agency protocols and professional dental treatment standards exist for most situations. Judgment is needed in locating and selecting the most appropriate of these guidelines which may change for varying patient circumstances as the assessment/diagnosis task is repeated. This selection and interpretation of guidelines involves choosing from alternatives where all are correct but one is better than another depending on the given circumstances of the situation.

Line/Staff Authority 

The direct field of influence the work of a position has on the organization is as a work leader. The work leader is partially accountable for the work product of two or more full-time equivalent positions, including timeliness, correctness, and soundness. At least one of the subordinate positions must be in the same series or at a comparable conceptual level. Typical elements of direct control over other positions by a work leader include assigning tasks, monitoring progress and work flow, checking the product, scheduling work, and establishing work standards. The work leader provides input into supervisory decisions made at higher levels, including signing leave requests and approving work hours. This level may include positions performing supervisory elements that do not fully meet the criteria for the next level in this factor.

DENTIST III C1H3XX

Concept of Class

This class describes daily operational responsibility for a dental services unit, which commonly includes supervisory responsibility for dentists, dental technologists, and support staff. Duties require establishing and implementing policies and procedures for the dental services unit in an agency. Positions exercise full supervision and work will include planning, controlling, and reporting on the operational management of a dental services unit. Positions at this level are expected to apply the theories, principles, and concepts of dental science to the problems, programs, goals, and objectives of the agency in providing adequate dental care to patients. Positions at this level are expected to assure agency compliance with statutory and professional standards; assure coordination of dental services with the laboratory and other units or specialists; and advise management on dental protocols, treatment standards, and the dental services unit's budgetary and staffing needs. The distinguishing element of this class is operational responsibility for a dental services unit. The Dentist III differs from the Dentist II on the Decision Making, Complexity, and Purpose of Contact factors and may differ on the Line/Staff Authority factor.

Factors

Allocation must be based on meeting all of the three factors as described below.

Decision Making 

The decisions regularly made are at the interpretive level, as described here. Within limits of the strategic master medical/dental plan and allocated human and fiscal resources, choices involve determining tactical plans to achieve the dental service objectives established by the higher management (strategic) level. Positions at this level are responsible, on a daily basis, for developing plans for an agency-wide dental services unit. This involves establishing what dental processes will be done, developing the budget, and developing the staffing patterns and work units in order to deploy staff. This level includes changing dental systems and guidelines that will be applied by others. By nature, this is the first level where positions are not bound by processes and operations in their own programs as a framework for decision making and there are novel or unique situations that cause uncertainties that must be addressed at this level. For example, the position develops special procedures to deal with uncooperative patients with a variety of health care problems in addition to their dental problems. Through deliberate analysis and experience with these unique situations, the manager determines the systems, guidelines, and programs for the future.

Complexity 

The nature of, and need for, analysis and judgment is formulative, as described here. Positions evaluate the relevance and importance of dental theories, concepts, and principles in order to tailor them to develop a different treatment approach, dental protocol, or tactical plan for the dental services unit to fit different types of patient circumstances. While general policy, precedent, or non-specific professional dental practices exist, they are inadequate so they are relevant only through approximation or analogy. In conjunction with dental theories, concepts, and principles, positions use judgment and resourcefulness in tailoring the existing dental guidelines so they can be applied to patient's circumstances and to deal with patient emergencies. For example, a position develops procedures for providing dental services to violent patients in a security facility.

Line/Staff Authority 

The direct field of influence the work of a position has on the organization is as a work leader, senior authority, or unit supervisor. The work leader is partially accountable for the work product of two or more full-time equivalent positions, including timeliness, correctness, and soundness. At least one of the subordinate positions must be in the same series or at a comparable conceptual level. Typical elements of direct control over other positions by a work leader include assigning tasks, monitoring progress and work flow, checking the product, scheduling work, and establishing work standards. The work leader provides input into supervisory decisions made at higher levels, including signing leave requests and approving work hours. This level may include positions performing supervisory elements that do not fully meet the criteria for the next level in this factor.

OR

The unit supervisor is accountable, including signature authority, for actions and decisions that directly impact the pay, status, and tenure of three or more full-time equivalent positions. At least one of the subordinate positions must be in the same series or at a comparable conceptual level. The elements of formal supervision must include providing documentation to support recommended corrective and disciplinary actions, signing performance plans and appraisals, and resolving informal grievances. Positions start the hiring process, interview applicants, and recommend hire, promotion, or transfer.

OR

The senior authority is a pacesetter who has a unique level of technical expertise in a field or profession that, as part of the assignment, is critical to the success of an agency. It is an essential component of the work assignment that has been delegated by management to the position. This authority directly influences management decisions beyond the agency. Managers and peers seek this level of technical guidance and direction as the designer of a statewide system or in a subject area for other areas of state government. Managers and peers, both internally and externally to the agency, rely on this pacesetter when making decisions regarding the direction that policy, programs, and systems should take in the pacesetter's field of expertise.

Entrance Requirements

Minimum entry requirements and general competencies for classes in this series are contained in the State of Colorado Department of Personnel web site.

For purposes of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the essential functions of specific positions are identified in the position description questionnaires and job analyses.

History of Changes Made to Class Description

The​ ​following​ ​is​ ​a​ ​summary​ ​of​ ​changes​ ​made​ ​to​ ​this​ ​class description.

June 30, 2015

Updated and removed the purpose of contact 6.30.2015

July 1, 2006

Effective 7/1/06 (TLE). Medical Occupational Group consolidated into Health Care Services. No substantive changes to CD. Proposed 3/13/06.

Sept. 1, 1993

Effective 9/1/93 (KAS). Job Evaluation System Revision project. Published as proposed 5/10/93. Created 1/1/75.

Summary of Factor Ratings

Minimum Qualifications

Valid as of: July 1, 2024

This​ ​document​ ​includes​ ​the​ ​following​ ​levels:
 

DENTIST I (C1H1XX)

Education/Licensure/Certification/Experience:

• Possession of a current, valid dentist license issued by the Colorado Dental Board

Substitutions

• No Substitutions
   

DENTIST II (C1H2XX)

Education/Licensure/Certification/Experience:

• Possession of a current, valid dentist license issued by the Colorado Dental Board
• Two (2) years of experience as a dentist

Substitutions

• No Substitutions

DENTIST III (C1H3XX)

Education/Licensure/Certification/Experience:

• Possession of a current, valid dentist license issued by the Colorado Dental Board'
• Three (3) years of experience as a dentist

Substitutions

• No Substitutions

History of Changes Made to Minimum Qualification

The​ ​following​ ​is​ ​a​ ​summary​ ​of​ ​changes​ ​made​ ​to​ ​this​ ​minimum​ ​qualification.

May 1, 2017 (Whole Document)

• Part of the 2017 MQ Project
• New Format

May 1, 2017 (Whole Document)

• Language was updated. Language regarding a ‘current, valid’ license was added

May 1, 2017 (C1H2XX, C1H3XX)

• Oral surgery requirment has been removed. If needed, this can be listed as a Special Qualification if justified by the job analysis and position description

Sept. 12, 2023 (Whole Document)

• New format (updating to adhere to accessibility standards)