Working as a dental assistant requires you to multitask and perform various functions. You will be working with dentists to assist them by performing health care tasks such as taking the x-rays and taking care of patients. You will also have to talk through the process to the patient for helping them understand it. The assistant will also be responsible for taking care of the scheduling of appointments and keeping records.
Contents
Job Description – Dental Assistant
Dental Assistants need to have proper knowledge of the set of equipment. You will have to take care of sterilizing the instruments and preparing the patients before the process. You will also be arranging the dental hygiene tasks and setting up the operation room for the dentist. For the role of a Dental Assistant, you will have to perform dental x-rays and create reports highlighting the issues or diseases, if any. To do well in this role, you should have experience working with dental equipment before you start working as a Dental Assistant. You need to have an x-ray certificate to be eligible for the job of Dental Assistant.
To be successful in this position as a Dental Assistant, you should have good communication skills to help comfort patients before surgery. You will have to perform different dental hygiene tasks before the surgery and also create reports to identify the cause of the problem.
Skills Required – Dental Assistant
You need excellent report-making and communication skills to become an ideal Dental Assistant. You also need strong attention to detail when analyzing reports of x-rays and other dental reports. This requires good analysis and a good knowledge of dental terminology for a perfect report. You have to be caring and compassionate towards patients and answer them gently to clear up their doubts.
Read more: Dental Biller Job Description
Job Responsibilities – Dental Assistant
- You will be preparing the patients for your dental work.
- You need to take proper care of the dental equipment.
- The assistant will also have to perform custom impressions and fabricate temporary fabrications from the preliminary actions.
- Maintaining the dental inventory and ordering supplies that are out of stock.
- Mounting the study casts and forming proper impressions for the preliminary impression.
- Using the patient’s vital signs to record the medical data.
- Providing excellent after-care to the patients as directed by the dentist.
- Caring for the patient and comforting them
- Giving information to patients about dental care and oral hygiene
- Caring for the dental equipment, the x-ray machine, and dental inventory.
- Keeping a record of the patient’s tests and treatment information
- Assisting the dentist during the procedure whenever needed.
Job Requirements
- You need to have an associate degree from an accredited dental assisting program.
- Certification in dental x-ray certification is also required for this job
- You should have a high school diploma or any related field.
- You should be able to provide good patient care for your clients.
- Candidates also need to maintain a professional appearance and attitude.
- You need knowledge of using computers and performing various tasks using basic software.
- Enrollment in a Dental Hygiene Program
Read more: What Does An X-Ray Technician Do?
Frequently Asked Questions
1 How to become a Dental Assistant
Ans. To become a dental assistant, you have to take a course for an associate degree that is related to the study of dental procedures. As an assistant, you will have to be present during surgery and learn the use of a different set of equipment. You will also be managing the scheduling of appointments with the patients. You need to organize the plan accordingly to help give proper time to all the patients.
2 Where to find a job as a Dental Assistant?
Ans. To find similar jobs as a Dental Assistant, you have to look out for your nearby healthcare clinics. You have to find these dental clinics to go for a walk-in-interview. Or you can always look out on the internet for jobs in your preferred locations. There are many websites that can help you reach out to different employers easily.
3 What certification do you require for the job of Dental Assistant?
Ans. You need a certificate from the Dental Hygiene Program to be eligible for the job as a Dental Assistant. Apart from that, you just need good knowledge of the equipment and its usage. This will help you go a long way in this field of work. You should also learn more about the job before taking one up.
4 What Is the Role of a Dental Assistant?
Ans. The role of a dental assistant is to provide assistance during surgery and take records of the patient’s health. You will also perform x-ray tests for the patient and provide a proper detailed report for the dentist to check for diseases and issues if they persist. The assistant will also be creating impressions for temporary restoration whenever necessary. You will be provided with the responsibility of maintaining the dental equipment.