Choosing a career in dental assisting is a great investment in your future. Dental assistants are currently in high demand, with demand predicted to grow even more as the population ages. Dental assistants have the advantage of regular working hours, a competitive salary, and great opportunities for advancement. To become a dental assistant, you will need to learn the essential skills necessary for your new career.

Close up of a male dentist and female dental assistant providing treatment to a patient.

What Does a Dental Assistant Do?

Dental assistants will always have a full day and will have several key responsibilities throughout their day. You will typically start your day by prepping the rooms and charts for the dentist based on the daily schedule of appointments. This can include turning on the equipment, flushing the water lines and filling water bottles, preparing treatment trays with sterilized instruments, and covering the seats and headrests with clean paper barriers.

As patients arrive for their dental appointment, you will greet the patients in the waiting room after they’ve checked in and escort them back to the treatment rooms. You’ll get the patient settled and run through their health history. If there are changes since the previous visit, you will record everything in the patient’s chart. If the patient has questions about the procedure, you can help answer their questions and communicate with the dentist about any concerns the patient has.

Assisting the Dentist

The most important part of your job will be anticipating the needs of the dentist when you are assisting them with a treatment. You’ll hand the appropriate tools to the dentist as needed and take the tools away once they’ve been used or are no longer needed. You’ll provide suction or irrigation when necessary and will help ensure the patient is comfortable. Throughout the day you may be juggling multiple rooms, and you will find that good organizational skills are essential to helping you move smoothly from patient to patient. When the appointments are over and the day is winding down, you will spend the rest of your workday processing patient charts, restocking supplies and office materials for the next day, and helping the front desk staff with their closing procedures. Dental assistants are responsible for these closing tasks to prepare the office for the next day.

Successful Dental Assistant Skills

Dental assistants have many different roles to play during their workday. In order to be successful, dental assistants need not only the knowledge and clinical skills for dental procedures, but also “soft skills”. It’s important for dental assistants to be excellent at collaborating with colleagues, skilled in communicating between patients, dental staff, and administrative staff, dedicated to quality and precision in their work, and organized enough to manage the different components of their daily schedule.

With practice, dental assistants can develop a strong “chairside” manner. They are the liaison between the dentist and the patient. Often, patients are anxious when they are having a dental procedure, and the dental assistant is often the staff member who will interact most closely with them to calm their nerves and explain the procedure and process in a way that is easy for them to understand.  Dental assistants can set their mind at ease. During your dental assisting training program, you will learn the clinical skills and dental knowledge to perform all the essential duties of a dental assistant, but you will also focus on developing your soft skills. The South Florida Dental Assistant Training School puts a strong focus on helping dental assistants master every skill they will need.

What Will You Learn as a Dental Assistant Student?

The comprehensive curriculum at South Florida Dental Assisting School is designed to train new dental assistants in every scenario they may face during their day. This curriculum is presented in a balance of coursework and hands-on training. During classes, students learn the fundamentals of dentistry, basic dental anatomy, dental hygiene, and an overview of dental techniques.

During the hands-on clinical portion of the curriculum, students will practice sterilizing and disinfecting instruments, setting up trays, preparing patients, taking X-rays, and assisting with procedures. Hands-on training with real patients in real dental offices allow students to graduate from the program ready to handle anything that will come up in their role as a dental assistant.

Transferring Your Skills to Real World Scenarios

South Florida Dental Assisting School puts a strong focus on transferring the essential skills they teach into real world scenarios. By utilizing clinical hours and externships in real dental offices, the experienced faculty brings the curriculum into real world scenarios. Rather than simply learning how to take a patient’s medical history or prepare an instrument tray in class, students will observe and practice doing these things themselves in a safe and guided environment. When our graduates are looking for their first position as a dental assistant, they will have a strong resume full of real world applications from their training. This will give you an edge over your competition in the job market.

A well-rounded dental assisting education that combines theoretical knowledge with hands-on experience is essential for success in the field. By enrolling in our comprehensive curriculum, our students gain the confidence to apply their skills in real-world settings. This blend of classroom learning and practical application ensures that when our graduates step into their careers, they are not only prepared but also poised to excel. If you’ve been considering a career as a dental assistant, we can help prepare you for a rewarding future. Contact South Florida Dental Assisting School today!