To be a successful candidate for a dental assistant job, it helps to have a uniquely crafted dental assistant resume. Like your teeth, your resume should shine to convince hiring managers that you should hire them. A resume is a way to tell a potential employer that you can do a good job. For dental assistants, this means incorporating your most relevant skills, experience and education that match the job description.
Understanding what skills a dental assistant needs and what else to include can help you create an effective resume when submitting applications. In this article, we discuss how to write a resume for a dental assistant to help prepare you for this part of your career. Dentists are in high demand, and competition for these roles is fierce due to the variety, flexibility and excellent working conditions that work offers.
One of the first steps in finding a job as a dental assistant is to write an outstanding resume, but knowing what to include can be difficult. A sample of dental assistant resume can show you how to demonstrate what skills and qualifications to include and how to organize information so that the document attracts the employer’s attention.
Who is a dental assistant?
A dental assistant assists dentists during dental procedures and provides an order of operations so that they can hand over any tools that the dentist may need during the procedure. To do this, the dentist must have knowledge of advanced dental procedures, dental materials and equipment.
Dentists perform many tasks, from caring for patients to X-rays to keeping records and scheduling appointments. The responsibilities of the dentist may include preparing the patient for a particular operation; this responsibility would include knowledge of teeth and most dental procedures. The dental assistant can assist the dentist in the operation and perform actions such as handing over the necessary tools to the dentist and providing secondary support.
Dental assistants may also be responsible for making appointments, submitting documents, and keeping accounts for the company. In addition, the dentist would be responsible for greeting patients when they enter the door, and for a warm, professional face for the office.
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Dental assistant Job description
The duties of a dentist are one of the most complete and diverse in the dental office. A dental assistant performs many tasks that require both interpersonal and technical skills. Although government regulations vary, responsibilities may include:
- Assistance to the dentist during various treatment procedures
- Removal and development of dental radiographs (X-ray)
- Questions about the patient’s medical history and blood pressure and pulse measurements
- Work as an infection control officer, develop an infection control protocol and prepare and sterilize instruments and equipment
- Helping patients feel comfortable before, during and after dental treatment
- Providing patients with instructions on oral care after surgery or other dental procedures, such as placement of restorations (fillings)
- Educating patients on appropriate oral hygiene strategies to maintain oral health;
- (e.g. brushing teeth, flossing and nutrition counseling)
- Fingerprinting of patients for the study of casts (models of teeth)
- Perform office management tasks that often require the use of a personal computer
- Communicating with patients and suppliers (eg, scheduling appointments, answering phone calls, invoicing, and ordering supplies)
- Assistance in providing direct care to patients in all dental specialties, including orthodontics, pediatric dentistry, periodontology and oral surgery
Dental assistant work environment
Their work area is usually near a dental chair so that they can place tools, supplies and medications and hand them to the dentist when needed. Dental workers may be at risk of infection with blood-borne pathogens and infectious diseases, so they wear gloves, masks, goggles and protective clothing to protect themselves and their patients. Adherence to security procedures also minimizes the risks associated with the use of radiographic equipment.
What is Dental assistant salary like?
Most certified and registered or licensed dentists who have an X-ray license receive a minimum hourly wage of $ 18.00 to begin with. Salary varies depending on place of residence and other factors, including experience. Some employers offer flat-rate allowances, reimbursement for continuing education and vocational training, medical benefits and retirement plans.
CDA-certified dentists earns an average hourly wage of $22.09 compared to the national average rate of $19.80 dollars per hour. Earnings on CDA certification are also associated with an increase in income, as 61% of CDA certifiers reported being promoted in their current position, compared with 45% of non-certified assistants who received promotions.
How to write Dental Assistant Resume
1. Start with necessary information
The hiring manager at the dental clinic will be most interested in your license or dental certification. It’s true that some states don’t require certification to hire, and you may even be trained on the job. However, if you still have a certificate, include it at the top of your resume, this is the best way to make sure the hiring manager knows that you have the proven skills and knowledge to perform the duties of a dentist.
2. Write a great career goal
In most cases, the hiring manager will read your dental assistant resume from top to bottom. For this reason, it is important to give your resume a clear introductory statement, which we call the purpose of the resume. There are other ways to start your resume, depending on your level of experience – you can read our flow chart on how to start a resume.
· Write your professional experience
To write the best Professional Experience section on your dental assistant resume, you need to cover all your experience, abilities and main achievement. The most effective way to describe your accomplishments in a resume is with numbers.
· Writing a section of additional skills
The dental profession requires knowledge and skills to use tools. The section on your resume skills should reflect your specialized knowledge, especially if you have not been able to fit it into the section on professional experience.
Don’t worry, you can even replicate the tools in the “Advanced Skills” section – this will make your resume optimized for applicant tracking systems and increase the chances that your resume will get past the system and fall into the hands of people.
This applicant included common tools and software such as MS Office. Believe it or not, the applicant also stated that he / she has a professional bedside method. As a dental assistant, your bedtime lifestyle can be the difference between a patient who hates the experience and never comes back, or recommending their services to friends and family.
· List your certifications
Not all dentists require their assistants to be properly certified. Those who do this are more likely to list it in a vacancy or description. Even if your potential employer does not require certification, including any you may have on your resume, it can help you stand out among those who do not. The most popular certificate for this career is a Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) offered by the National Dental Services Commission, but any relevant certification can be useful to demonstrate your qualifications for this role. When listing your certificates, note the year you received them and which organization provided them.
· Include your education
Most employers prefer to hire dentists with formal education. You can list your education in descending order, starting with the last. Include the school you attended, years of study, and any degrees or certificates you earned while there.
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Dental Assistant Resume Sample
YOUR NAME
Dental Assistant
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Phone:
Email:
LinkedIn:
Twitter:
Summary
A passionate dentist with 4 years of experience who strives to provide excellent training and documentation thanks to his skills in four-handed dentistry and X-ray surgery. Oakland Dental Spa maintained 99% positive patient ratings for 2 years.
Experience
Dental Assistant
2019–2021
Washington Hospital Healthcare System
- Provided care for patients, assisted in the establishment and dental procedures, did X-rays, kept records, scheduled meetings.
- 99% of positive patient ratings are supported.
- Congratulations 7 times for expert 4-hand dentistry.
- 3 employees were trained to conduct digital X-rays.
Dental Assistant
2015–2019
University of Washington Medical Centre
- Reduce inventory costs by 20% through more efficient warehousing.
- Active listening and problem-solving skills were used to help increase patient satisfaction with the whole practice by 25%.
- Received 5 additional bonuses for reliability and work ethic.
Volunteer Dental Assistant
2014
- Volunteer for Dr. Israel Emele, Pennsylvania, as an assistant dentist.
- Volunteer for Dr. Timothy Green, DDS, Pennsylvania, as an assistant dentist.
- Received frequent compliments for effective preparation of the procedure.
Education
Assistant Dentist Training, Bitterroot College, 2013
- Passed a full externship with a practicing dentist.
- Received a Certified Dentist Certificate (CDA).
- Gained 95% in the Radiation Health Examination (RHS).
- Gained 97% on the Infection Control Exam.
Certifications
- National Certified Dental Assistant
- EFDA (dentist with advanced function)
Membership Association
American Dental Assistants Association
Additional Activities
- Volunteer fundraiser, Humane Society of Western Montana.
- Yoga instructor once a week, increasing the number of class members by 30%.
Hard Skills: dentistry with 4 hands, X-ray operation, preparation of dental procedures, maintenance of dental equipment, dental documentation
Soft skills: compassion, teamwork, customer service, efficiency
