Dental Assistant Duties and Responsibilities

The Dental Assistant will be responsible for general clinic administrative work and maintenance, as well as completing lab work under the direction of the dentist. The Dental Assistant’s primary responsibility is to prepare the examination rooms for appointments by sterilizing instruments and ensuring all necessary equipment is ready for the dentist. They also assist the dentist during their procedures by handing them instruments and anticipating their needs throughout the appointment. The Dental Assistant may also be responsible for greeting patients as they arrive, submitting billing details to the insurance company and scheduling the patient’s next appointment before they leave the clinic. Other duties and responsibilities include:

Dental Assistant Responsibilities:

• Preparing patients for dental work and assisting the Dentist.
• Helping with infection control by sterilizing and disinfecting instruments, setting up instrument trays, preparing materials, and assisting with dental procedures.
• Assisting dentists in managing medical and dental emergencies when necessary.
• Assisting dental hygienists with procedures when necessary.
• Providing great patient care.
• Recording treatment information in patient records.
• Exposing dental x-rays from dental diagnostics and caring for dental x-ray equipment.
• Giving patients information on dental hygiene, oral health care, and plaque control programs.
• Collecting and recording medical and dental histories and patient vital signs.
• Providing postoperative instructions as directed by the dentist.
• Caring for dental equipment.
• Forming preliminary impressions for study casts and occlusal registrations for mounting study casts.
• Ordering dental supplies and maintaining dental equipment inventory.
• Fabricating temporary restorations and custom impressions from preliminary impressions.

Dental Assistant Requirements:

• Certification or associate degree in an accredited dental assisting program.
• Dental x-ray certification.
• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Completion of Dental Hygiene Program.
• Experience using computers for a variety of tasks.
• Good written and verbal communication skills.
• Consistently professional appearance and attitude.
• Able to provide great patient care.