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Life As a Dental Assistant
Job Description & Duties Assist dentist, set up equipment, prepare patient for treatment, and keep records.
What Do Dental Assistants Do On a Daily Basis?
- Record treatment information in patient records.
- Prepare patient, sterilize or disinfect instruments, set up instrument trays, prepare materials, or assist dentist during dental procedures.
- Provide postoperative instructions prescribed by dentist.
- Fabricate temporary restorations or custom impressions from preliminary impressions.
- Instruct patients in oral hygiene and plaque control programs.
- Make preliminary impressions for study casts and occlusal registrations for mounting study casts.
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What Every Dental Assistant Should Know
These are the skills Dental Assistants say are the most useful in their careers:
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Related Job Titles
- Orthodontic Assistant (Ortho Assistant)
- Registered Dental Assistant (RDA)
- Dental Office Manager
- Certified Registered Dental Assistant
- Orthodontist Assistant
What Kind of Dental Assistant Job Opportunities Are There?
In 2016, there was an estimated number of 332,000 jobs in the United States for Dental Assistant. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 19.5% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 64,600 new jobs for Dental Assistant by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 45,900 job openings in this field each year.
The states with the most job growth for Dental Assistant are Arizona, Maryland, and Utah. Watch out if you plan on working in Rhode Island, Mississippi, or Kansas. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Salary for a Dental Assistant
The typical yearly salary for Dental Assistants is somewhere between $26,940 and $54,800.
Dental Assistants who work in Minnesota, New Hampshire, or District of Columbia, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Dental Assistants in different U.S. states.
| State | Annual Mean Salary |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $33,650 |
| Alaska | $47,330 |
| Arizona | $40,680 |
| Arkansas | $34,080 |
| California | $41,030 |
| Colorado | $40,390 |
| Connecticut | $44,520 |
| Delaware | $41,060 |
| District of Columbia | $49,220 |
| Florida | $39,590 |
| Georgia | $36,710 |
| Hawaii | $38,860 |
| Idaho | $34,800 |
| Illinois | $39,370 |
| Indiana | $40,790 |
| Iowa | $41,100 |
| Kansas | $37,040 |
| Kentucky | $36,060 |
| Louisiana | $32,340 |
| Maine | $42,250 |
| Maryland | $42,080 |
| Massachusetts | $46,070 |
| Michigan | $37,140 |
| Minnesota | $49,880 |
| Mississippi | $32,900 |
| Missouri | $38,350 |
| Montana | $37,310 |
| Nebraska | $36,860 |
| Nevada | $38,240 |
| New Hampshire | $48,760 |
| New Jersey | $43,110 |
| New Mexico | $34,870 |
| New York | $39,130 |
| North Carolina | $41,790 |
| North Dakota | $46,640 |
| Ohio | $38,960 |
| Oklahoma | $36,550 |
| Oregon | $43,440 |
| Pennsylvania | $39,200 |
| Rhode Island | $43,710 |
| South Carolina | $39,750 |
| South Dakota | $37,820 |
| Tennessee | $37,610 |
| Texas | $36,820 |
| Utah | $31,280 |
| Vermont | $42,640 |
| Virginia | $44,640 |
| Washington | $43,680 |
| West Virginia | $31,410 |
| Wisconsin | $38,630 |
| Wyoming | $35,220 |
What Tools & Technology do Dental Assistants Use?
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Dental Assistants may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office
- Web browser software
- Email software
- Word processing software
- Intuit Quicken
- Henry Schein Dentrix
- Patterson Dental Supply Patterson EagleSoft
- Kodak Dental Systems Kodak SOFTDENT Practice management software PMS
Becoming a Dental Assistant
Education needed to be a Dental Assistant:
What work experience do I need to become a Dental Assistant?
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Those interested in being a Dental Assistant may also be interested in:
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References:
Image Credit: Sgt. Dallas Edwards via Public domain
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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