Skills Needed for Dental Assistant Positions

Dentistry is a wide field of study that is inclusive of different specialties. Every specialty is unique in the types of services it offers and its nature thereof. It is why medical schools have different provisions that train different people to take up a variety of roles in the dental world. One of the important areas of study in dentistry is dental assistance. Most of the works that other dental specialists can accomplish are made possible by dental assistants.

What is The Role of a Dental Assistant?

The primary function of a dental assistant is to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of a dentist. They are the addition that complete the dental care team to allow for high-quality service provision to patients.

The tasks that dental assistants handle encompass the greatest variety in dentistry. Most of their duties are dependent on the allocations of the dentist in charge of a particular dental facility. Besides that, the regulations that guide the practice of dental assistance differ from state to another. Among some of the duties and responsibilities of a dental assistant in a dental facility include:

• Dental radiographs – taking and developing them is part of the assigned tasks, usually per the requests of a dentist.
• Information gathering – the information about a patient is gathered by a dental assistant. They have to inquire about their oral problem, medial dental history, to mention a few. This also involves gathering other details like blood pressure levels, heart pulse, among others.
• Organization of dental instruments – different instruments are used for different dental procedures. A dental assistant is in charge of organizing the instruments, sterilizing them, and presenting the respective ones for different dental works.
• The comfort of patients – assistance help keep patients comfortable in the dental facility, during and after the procedures. This, sometimes, involves noting down any cases of dental anxiety and phobias, for relevant actions to be taken.
• Oral hygiene strategies – assistants, along with dental hygienists, have input on oral hygiene practices of their patients. They teach the proper way to care for teeth after procedures.
• Nutrition training – after any procedure, a dental assistant has the task of informing patients more about their meal choices, as this affects the outcome. Nutritional training will help you maintain a healthy mouth and overall health.
• Schedules and appointments – assistants keep their dentists on toes with schedules of patients coming in every day besides that, they are in charge of liaising with patients regarding booking appointments as well as follow-ups.
• Office management – the overall management of a dentist’s office is catered to by a dental assistant.

What Do You Need to Become A Dental Assistant?

The number one requirement for you to cut it for this job niche is to attend a dental assistant school in Alpharetta. Even though not all states are strict about getting a formal education in this area, having an education provides you the necessary knowledge you need to thrive in dental practice. Other than that, some of the skills that are highly valuable in this field of study include the following:

• Attention to details – people that are detail-oriented make a great cut for this job specification. The attention for details will make you resourceful in handling different dental equipment, not to mention, cater to the varying patient needs.
• Passion – it will not make much of a difference if you have an education background in dental care, without the passion for it. Passion is the only thing that will make you love your job, and offer the best quality service to patients.
• Dexterity – this skill is necessary because of the nature of work. Most of the dental works require working in tight and small spaces. Dexterity makes you good for such duties.
• Good communication skills – the ability to communicate effectively will benefit you in the workplace. You will be in constant communication with your dentist, your patients, and the rest of the team. Besides, being in touch with specialized dental experts like orthodontists, periodontists, endodontists, oral surgeons, to mentions a few, requires great communication skills.
• Organization skills – a highly organized person thrives as a dental assistant. Most of the duties assigned to you by a dentist will involve organizing and categorizing, whether equipment, files or even clientele.