Dental Assistant Resume

Dental Assistant Resume – Samples & How-To Guide

What is a Dental Assistant and what do they do? This is a common question asked by those interested in seeking or advancing one’s career in the oral hygiene and health care field. Dental assistants are a valuable member of a dental health care team as they add significant contributions to the efficiency of the dentist while delivering quality health care treatments and procedures and educating and comforting patients along the way. The responsibilities of a dental assistant are vast and can range from scheduling appointments, patient interviews, patient care, take x-rays and maintain records. Currently dental assistants are in high demand among the various types of practices (but not limited to):

• Dental offices (general dentists and dental specialists)
• Dental schools and clinics
• Private and government hospitals and clinics
• State and local public health departments and clinics

Employment opportunities in this field continue to increase as most dental practices employ two or more dental assistants. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), dental assistant jobs are projected to increase by 11% (or 38,700 jobs) from 2018 through 2028 – 6% higher than the average 5% for all other occupations.

Dental Assistant Education & Certifications:

Becoming a dental assistant may not be as time consuming as one may initially think. Most formal education opportunities for dental assistants are provided through academic programs at dental schools, community colleges, vocational schools and alike and can typically be completed within 1 to 2 years. For jobseekers looking to become a nationally Certified Dental Assistant (CDA), you must pass The Dental Assisting National Board’s (DANB) CDA exam consisting of three component exams:

• General Chairside Assisting (GC)
• Radiation Health and Safety (RHS)
• Infection Control (ICE)

The good news is that not all states require formal education to be completed in order to become a dental assistant. The first thing to take into consideration is whether the state you will work out of requires any formal education or certifications.

To learn more about your state’s dental assisting requirements and allowable functions, visit the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB) website to conduct a search by state.

Dental Assistant Work Experience & Resume

There are many people today that are looking to work as a dental assistant as the demand continues to increase and opportunities become available. If you have past related work, volunteer and/or educational experience, you will want to highlight and begin with a resume summary to summarize your overall experience. If you have only educational experience (or no experience), you will want to begin with a resume objective.

If you are including past related work, volunteer and/or educational experience, be sure to start with your most recent experience and highlight 4 to 6 of your achievements (i.e. responsibilities, awards, kudos, etc…) to reflect your abilities and capabilities as a valuable addition to the team you are looking join.

Taking into consideration the additional expectations of a dental assistant, your resume should embody the important qualities of being detail-oriented, good at working with their hands and people, and having strong interpersonal, listening, multi-tasking, communication and organizational skills. Keeping this in mind, you will want to highlight your dental assistant resume with the skills and traits you possess that allow you to thrive and excel in this role:

Dental Assistant Skills

As every dental assistant works in a specific type of practice that provides services and/or a certain line of oral health care products. One way to set your resume aside from other potential candidates (including those who have dental assistant experience), is to highlight skills or work experience related to the type of practice the company identifies as. For example, if you’re applying as a dental assistant for a dental school or clinic, you’ll want to showcase your expertise in providing education, training and/or mentorship support as well as any prior work experience in this area.

Feel like pulling your own teeth out when writing your resume? It may be best to get professional resume help from a resume writing service

Dental Assistant Interview Process

If you are selected for an interview, be prepared for it to be conducted over the phone or in-person. An interview is the setting for you to showcase your experience and interest as a dental assistant. During the interview when asked questions, be prepared to respond with clear and concise answers using the STAR method, as your responses are being assessed and evaluated as part of the interview process.

SITUATION Describe the situation, context, or the task that you needed to accomplish. This example can be from a previous work, volunteer or school experience.
TASK Provide details on the goals you were looking to achieve
ACTION Demonstrate how you responded and the actions you took to address the situation
RESULT Describe the outcome of your actions and what was accomplished – highlight your contributions to the result

For both an in-person or phone interview, be prepared to be answer questions such as:

• How will you ensure you follow HIPAA guidelines as a dental assistant?
• What experience do you have with front office administrative duties and are you comfortable on the phone?
• What’s your experience with radioactive procedures such as taking x-rays?
• What about working as a dental assistant do you find most satisfying?
• What made you this career path?
• Why are you the best candidate for this dental assistant position?

For both an in-person or phone interview, be prepared to ask common interview questions to learn more about the role and to further express your enthusiasm and interest in the role.

Throughout the interview process, remember to present yourself professionally and clearly communicate and market yourself, skills and qualifications – even if you don’t have substantial or related work experience. After all, that is what’s expected of a dentist assistant – to be an effective and clear communicator.

Here’s the text version of the sample resume:

Unable to find the magic words needed to make your dentist resume truly sparkle? If you’re looking for more resume help, consider using our resume writing services to perfect your resume. Our team of professional resume writers will analyze your current resume to see what mistakes you’re making and rewrite your resume entirely to give yourself the best chance of securing more interviews.

Our most recommended resume resources

• 5 Best Resume Writing Services in 2021
• Free Resume Checker to Optimize Your Resume
• Resume Research And Surveys