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Career Exploration

Dental Assistants

Also called: Certified Dental Assistant (CDA), Dental Assistant (DA), Expanded Duty Dental Assistant (EDDA), Registered Dental Assistant (RDA)

What they do:

Perform limited clinical duties under the direction of a dentist. Clinical duties may include equipment preparation and sterilization, preparing patients for treatment, assisting the dentist during treatment, and providing patients with instructions for oral healthcare procedures. May perform administrative duties such as scheduling appointments, maintaining medical records, billing, and coding information for insurance purposes.

On the job, you would:
  • Prepare patient, sterilize or disinfect instruments, set up instrument trays, prepare materials, or assist dentist during dental procedures.
  • Record treatment information in patient records.
  • Assist dentist in management of medical or dental emergencies.
On the job, you'll need:

Business

  • customer service
  • management

Health

  • medicine and dentistry

Arts and Humanities

  • English language

Engineering and Technology

  • computers and electronics

Basic Skills

  • listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions
  • talking to others

Problem Solving

  • noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it

Verbal

  • communicate by speaking
  • listen and understand what people say

Hand and Finger Use

  • keep your arm or hand steady
  • put together small parts with your fingers

Ideas and Logic

  • use rules to solve problems
  • order or arrange things

Attention

  • do two or more things at the same time

Conventional

People interested in this work like activities that include data, detail, and regular routines.

  • Attention to Detail
  • Dependability
  • Self Control
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Integrity
  • Adaptability/Flexibility

Spreadsheet software

  • Microsoft Excel

Medical software

  • Henry Schein Dentrix
  • The Systems Workplace TDOCS

Electronic mail software

  • Email software

Video courtesy of CareerOneStop.

Job Outlook

The job outlook for this position is Bright.

New job opportunities are very likely in the future. This career will grow rapidly in the next few years.

Median Annual Salary: $44,820

Education

Certificate after high school or high school diploma/GED is usually needed.