Dental Assistants
Other names for this job might include Certified Dental Assistant (CDA), Certified Registered Dental Assistant, Dental Aide, Dental Assistant (DA), Dental Nurse, Dental Office Manager, Dentist Attendant, Expanded Duty Dental Assistant (EDDA), Expanded Function Dental Assistant, Oral Surgery Assistant
- $36920Salary
- 74%Job satisfaction
- MediumBecoming one
- HighJob growth
B
Being A Dental Assistant: What You Really Do
Table of Contents
2. Typical Day
3. Other Responsibilities
4. Working Life
5. Is This Right For Me
6. Related Careers
In this job description guide, you will find out what do Dental Assistants do and what is their typical work day like.
After reading this, you will have a much better idea on whether you will like working as a Dental Assistant or not.
Job summary
Dental Assistants assist dentist, set up equipment, prepare patient for treatment, and keep records.
We asked Dental Assistants how satisfied they are with their job. Here is what they said.
74%
73%
74% of them said they were satisfied with their job and 73% said they find that their job makes the world a better place or helps to make someone else’s life better.
Become one
Interested in becoming A Dental Assistant? Find the right schools that can help you to become one. This service is free thanks to our sponsors.
Typical day
On a daily basis, Dental Assistants Prepare patient, sterilize or disinfect instruments, set up instrument trays, prepare materials, or assist dentist during dental procedures. They Expose dental diagnostic x-rays.
1 of the main responsibilities as A Dental Assistant is to Record treatment information in patient records.
Some may also Take and record medical and dental histories and vital signs of patients.
In a normal work day, another thing that Dental Assistants do is they Provide postoperative instructions prescribed by dentist.
In addition to that, they Assist dentist in management of medical or dental emergencies..
A typical day for A Dental Assistant look like this:
Clean medical equipment. |
Prepare medical instruments or equipment for use. |
Assist practitioners to perform medical procedures. |
Operate medical equipment. |
Maintain medical records. |
We asked some Dental Assistants a few questions to find out what else does their work day look like. Here is what we found.
Do you have telephone conversations everyday in this job? | 35% said yes | |
Do you have to use email everyday in this job? | 23% said yes | |
How important is it to work in a team in this job? | 84% said very important | |
Do you have group discussions everyday in this job? | 86% said yes | |
Do you have to meet strict deadlines everyday in this job? | 49% said yes | |
Do you talk or work with customers everyday in this job? | 66% said yes | |
Do you have to deal with angry customers everyday in this job? | 16% said yes | |
Do you have to make decisions everyday in this job? | 66% said yes |
Other responsibilities
Besides the “typical day” things that Dental Assistants do, they Make preliminary impressions for study casts and occlusal registrations for mounting study casts. They might also Fabricate and fit orthodontic appliances and materials for patients, such as retainers, wires, or bands.
A typical week or month for them might include:
Make patient-assistive devices or device models. |
Make patient-assistive devices or device models. |
Fit patients for assistive devices. |
Working life
Less than 40 hours per week
Regular (Set schedule and routine)
In a typical work week as A Dental Assistant, you can expect to work Less than 40 hours per week.
Do Dental Assistants work in an office-style work environment?
Do Dental Assistants work in a warehouse-style work environment?
Do Dental Assistants work outdoors?
Is this right for me
The Organizers and The Builders
You can read more about these career personality types here.
You will like this career if you are someone who likes following set procedures and routines. They like working with data and details more than with ideas.
You also like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They like working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the careers require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
How we can help
Start your journey to be A Dental Assistant
Yes, I'm sure
Trusted by over 50,000 fans
[easy-followers title=”” nofollow=”1″ total_type=”text_before” columns=”2″ template=”tinycolor”] Other Careers Like This
Help Others Out
Learn more about Dental Assistants
Summary | |
Job Description (You are here) | |
Salary | |
Requirements | |
Is This Right For Me |
Study To Be A Dental Assistant
Related to Dental Assistants Job Description
Dental Assistants job description, what do Dental Assistants do, typical day for Dental Assistants, what is it like to work as a Dental Assistant, how many hours do Dental Assistants work, day to day work of a Dental Assistant
Additional resources
http://www.bls.gov/OOH/healthcare/dental-assistants.htm
http://www.adaausa.org/
http://www.ada.org/
http://www.danb.org/