Tips to Becoming a Good Dental Assistant
Many pre-dental students first experience the real world of dentistry as a dental assistant. Being a dental assistant before becoming a dentist is extremely helpful in familiarizing yourself with dentistry and deciding whether the profession is a good fit for you. Physically providing chair-side assistance to a dentist can be daunting and demanding, so here are some tips and skills that are helpful to know and develop before stepping into the dental workplace as a dental assistant.
Dental assistant responsibilities:
Assisting the dentist during a variety of treatment procedures
Taking and developing dental radiographs (x-rays)
Preparing and sterilizing instruments and equipment
Helping patients feel comfortable before, during and after dental treatment
Providing patients with instructions for oral care following surgery or other dental treatment procedures
Taking impressions of patients' teeth for study casts (models of teeth)
Performing office management tasks
Communicating with patients and suppliers (e.g., scheduling appointments, answering the telephone, billing and ordering supplies)
Skill #1 → Interpersonal skills
Interpersonal skills help dental assistants properly interact with patients. Since dental assistants work very closely with dentists and patients, it is a dental assistant’s duty to be sensitive to the patient’s emotions when they are experiencing pain or stress, and know how to properly resolve issues in a professional manner. This also includes having good listening skills. Being an effective listener is essential when following instructions from the healthcare provider (dentist) to help treat patients and do tasks, and important to support and better understand what the dentist or patient is talking about.
Skill #2: → Detail-oriented
Dental assistants must follow specific rules and protocols, such as infection control procedures, when helping dentists treat patients. Having a good eye for detail means being able to explore the topic discussed and the reasons behind the issue surrounding it. Having a proactive attitude to focus on the correcting of issues and handling daily tasks is also a huge advantage. Lastly, a detail oriented dental assistant is patient and has determination to explore a problem or issue fully so it is resolved accurately.
Skill #3 → Organizational Skills
Dental assistants should have excellent organizational skills. They should have the correct tools in place for a dentist or dental hygienist to use when treating a patient. Organizational skills include physical, mental and time management. Physical organization includes keeping the dental workspace organized and tidy. Mental organization involves keeping the dental assistants mind organized or being a multi-tasker. Time management skills can come in handy throughout the day as patients come in and out of the dental office. Keeping patients and examination stations clean and ready for the next patient will help the dentist move from patient to patient smoothly throughout the day.
Sources:
https://www.daymarcollege.edu/blog/8-skills-make-good-dental-assistant
https://www.ada.org/en/education-careers/careers-in-dentistry/dental-team-careers/dental-assistant
Video on technical dental assisting tips (including tooth numbering, tooth surfaces and basic filling and extractions set ups):
Dental assisting 101: The basics
Written by: Lauren Cho
