What Do Dental Assistants Do?

Like many medical settings, a dental office can be a hub of busy activity. With numerous people coming and going, dentists might require additional personnel to ensure that patients are treated in a kind, efficient manner. Dental assistants are vital members of the dental team who can help keep operations running smoothly.

Dental assistants have some of the broadest job descriptions in a dental office, and their work can require both technical and interpersonal elements. Ultimately, the tasks they may perform are regulated by state law and may vary according to location.

Their responsibilities might include preparing instruments and materials necessary for treating a patient, obtaining dental records, and assisting a dentist during a procedure.
They may take and develop x-rays; take a patient’s medical history; help patients feel comfortable before, during, and after treatment; make models of a patient’s teeth for study; or even perform office management tasks.
A dental assistant’s job can also include teaching patients about postoperative and general oral health care.

Dental assistants aren’t often found far from a dental chair, as they need to be able to help a dentist right away when called upon. Work schedules can be full-time or part-time. Approximately half of all dental assistants in the U.S. worked between 35 and 40 hours a week in 2008, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. More than one-third had a part-time schedule. Some held more than one job, which they fit in around the hours required at their primary office. The work possibilities are considerable.

Last Updated: 02/25/2013

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