What are the job duties of a dental assistant? It is likely that anyone who’s visited or worked within a dental office has come across them. These helpful people handle many things around a dentist’s office, from paperwork to bedside manner.
In addition to a necessary set of office skills, dental assistants should have patience. They need compassion, understanding, and good listening skills. Often the dental assistant is the first and last touch point you have in the dentist office. Sometimes it could be the receptionist or the dentist themselves; but, in many offices, the dental assistant is the person you see the most.
Dental assistants grease the cogs that keep the wheels turning. They hear your concerns, listen to requests, and calm nerves. The job duties of a dental assistant can reach beyond what’s learned from a book or class. In honor of these key employees, here is a breakdown of some other responsibilities of dental assistants:
Preparation and Takedown — Before you’re even in the dentist chair, the dental assistant has been hard at work prepping the space for your appointment. This includes cleaning and disinfecting everything in the treatment room, setting out the instruments that will be used, and checking off whatever else is needed for your appointment. Once your appointment is completed, the process starts all over again for the next patient.
Assisting the Doctor — The dental assistant typically begins an appointment by taking the you to the examination room and discussing your needs. Then, they may also take X-rays and complete other assessments for the dentist. The assistant helps the dentist with tasks during the appointment including instrument handling, rinsing and suction, and keeping the treatment area clean and organized. Dental assistants also take impressions of teeth and provide post-care instructions.
Office management — Often, the role of dental assistant isn’t limited to just patient-facing tasks. There’s more to keeping a dental practice running smoothly, like ordering supplies, scheduling appointments, submitting insurance claims, billing customers, and other administrative tasks. Many dental assistants also take care of these responsibilities – they’re some of the best multi-taskers around!
While helping the dentist and patient, and handling office work efficiently, dental assistants are often anticipating the needs of those around them. March 1-7 is Dental Assistant Recognition week, designed to honor those important team members in every dental practice. The job duties of a dental assistant are multi-faceted, though hopefully not thankless. So the next time you go in for a check-up, appreciate all the dental assistants you see. They help each and every dental appointment happen seamlessly.
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