Dental assistants have an integral role in your dental care. A dental assistant’s daily duties and skills vary from working directly with and supporting the dentist and dental hygienists as they perform various procedures such as fillings. Some technical duties that a dental assistant may have include: taking and pouring impressions (or molds of the patient’s mouth), preparing patients for surgical procedures, operating dental equipment and patient monitoring systems, preparing the examination room, and sterilizing equipment. Depending upon where the dental assistant works, they can also polish the surfaces of the teeth, apply sealants and fluoride to the surfaces of the teeth, placing topical anesthetics prior to a dental procedure, obtain x-rays of the mouth, obtain the patient’s vital signs, and provide patients with education related to proper dental hygiene. Dental assistants are also involved in maintaining and updating the patient’s dental records. The dental assistant may be asked to record measurements or scalings that are obtained from the patient or to record any medical and/or dental changes the patient may have reported. Additional duties that a dental assistant may participate in may be administrative, these include scheduling patient appointments, submitting claims for billing and insurance, ordering and supplies and equipment for the dental office, and other office management tasks, this is to include computer-based work.

Much of what the dental assistant’s do on a day-to-today basis is around assisting the dentist perform a variety of procedures and interventions, such as fillings, extraction of teeth, crowns, and root canals. Therefore it is important that the dental assistant has a firm understanding of various dental procedures, the order in which they must be performed, and the equipment and dental instruments that will be used. Another essential skill that dental assistants must have is the ability to work with diverse patient groups. More often than not, the dental assistant is the first person that a patient may encounter during their office visit, therefore it is important that they are friendly and caring. Some additional qualities that are important for dental assistants include, being a good listener, as they play a key role in helping patients share their questions and concerns with their dental team, being compassionate, compassion is essential, patients may come to their dental visit anxious or scared, having a calming presence is helpful in making the patient feel comfortable. Being organized with an attention to detail is an important quality for a dental assistant, they will need to be prepared for anything to happen. They may be asked to perform multiple duties in a short amount of time, therefore, strong organizational skills will greatly benefit them.

Dental assistants can use their skills in a variety of settings and put their skills to use in a number of different roles. Some of the settings that a dental assistant can work include: independent dental practices; hospital-based dental clinics, dental school clinics, correctional institutions, public-health clinics and specialty practices. The roles may include: orthodontic assistant, oral surgery assistance, and surgical dental assistant.

Academic Requirements and Career Pathway

The academic requirements and regulations for dental assistants to practice vary by state. In the state of Washington, dental assistants must be registered. In order to be considered eligible for registration, the individual must complete 200 hours of employment by a Washington state licensed dentist, as well as obtain both theoretical and clinical training in the application of dental sealants and fluoride varnish treatments.

The work as a dental assistant can be very rewarding, especially seeing patients’ oral health improve over the course of their care. It is also important to consider the various ways that a dental assistant can advance their career. Some of the ways that a dental assistant can advance their career is by pursuing one of the following: dental hygienist; dental lab technician, dental office manager, or teaching dental assisting. These advancements may involve earning additional education, training, and experience. The Dental Assisting National Board (DANB) is the nationally recognized certification organization for dental assistants.

Attributions

1. Figure 9.2: image released under the Pexels License