Are you passionate about the dental care industry? Do you see yourself becoming a successful dental assistant? If you believe you have the dental assistant skills required for a dental assistant career, it may be time to consider a formal education! By enrolling in a dental assistant diploma program, you could learn the foundations of dental care and how to perform general dental assistant duties.

A great program could give you the dental assistant skills and knowledge needed for the job! Are you ready to see if you have what it takes for a dental assistant career? Continue reading to discover common dental assistant tasks and 5 dental assistant skills that could help you succeed!

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Dental Assistants Day-to-Day Tasks

Before looking at the top 5 skills of a dental assistant, it’s important to know common dental assistant tasks that could be expected of you! General dental assistant duties typically consist of:

Handing instruments to dentists during procedures
Processing x-rays and completing lab tasks
Scheduling patient appointments
Helping patients with billing and payment
And more! (1)

Dental assistants are the backbone of the dental industry. These vital team members have one of these most important dental assistant tasks: keeping the office running smoothly. Let’s take a look at 5 skills that could help you become a successful dental assistant!

#1. Detail Orientated

Do you pay attention to the little things? Are you attentive and meticulous? Dental assistants are responsible for many important tasks that require attention to detail. Being detail-oriented could be crucial when performing dental assistant tasks such as recording patient information, filing medical records, or simply assisting the dentist with patient procedures.

Dental assistants need this dental assistant skill when adhering to dental care industry rules and protocols that ensure patient safety or handling medical files. (2) Being detail-oriented helps ensure accuracy and is vital for success in the dental care industry. If you have this amazing skill set, pursuing a dental assistant career could be the right path for you.

#2. Organizational Skills

To keep a dental office running smoothly, you need more than just attention to detail - you need to be organized. Dental offices are a constant flow of patients, paperwork, and dental assistant tasks that require strong organizational skills. Staying organized could aid you in performing general dental assistant duties in a timely manner and help prevent mistakes on the job.

Being methodical with dental assistant tasks could also help build trust with other dental staff and create a neat environment for others to work in. For example, keeping dental instruments in the right place could help other dental staff provide quality care for patients without confusion or chaos.

Maintaining an orderly system could also increase productivity and aid the dental team as a whole. This great skill may be number 2 of the top 5 dental assistant skills but, there is still more needed to succeed in the dental care industry.

#3. Good Communication Skills

You’re accurate and organized, but are you a skilled communicator? General dental assistant duties such as scheduling appointments, communicating with other staff, or teaching oral hygiene would be impossible if you couldn’t express yourself effectively.

This vital skill helps to keep the office running smoothly and ensure quality patient care. Being a good communicator also means you speak calmly with patients who are upset or confused or instructing patients clearly on procedures. No matter what the situation or dental assistant task, having strong communication skills could be key in your dental assistant career.

#4. Patient Care

One of the most important dental assistant skills is excellent patient care skills. Not all patients that require dental care are happy and easy to deal with. Staying positive and compassionate towards uneasy patients is a vital skill in the dental care industry.

Dental assistants must remain considerate of patients who are in pain or dealing with fear. This skill could help the patient relax and increase trust between the patient and dental office. (2) Not only will this benefit the patient, but this skill could help aid your team in providing excellent dental care as well.

#5 Professionalism

Professionalism may be last, but it is definitely not least in the top 5 dental assistant skills. Dental assistant’s set the tone for the dental office and is the first and last impression on the patient. In all dental assistant tasks, there should be a spirit of excellence and professionalism. This includes your attitude, your dress, and your speech.

Keeping a smile on your face, a calm demeanor, and a steady focus on the job could help with general dental assistant duties and increase patient satisfaction. Performing dental assistant tasks in such a professional manner could leave patients happy and your team happy as well.

Enroll in the Dental Assistant Diploma Program at National Career College.

Do you have the 5 important dental assistant skills needed to succeed? Are you ready to pursue your passion for dentistry? Enroll in National Career College’s Dental Assistant Program today! In as little as 9 months, you could complete our 40-week program designed to prepare you for future dental assistant tasks!

Our morning and evening classes, as well as the externship portion, could provide ample opportunity for you to gain the dental assistant skills needed to flourish in your career. So what are you waiting for? If you’re ready to become a successful dental assistant, contact National Career College today!

Learn more about Dental Assistant at National Career College

Sources:

Top 5 Dental Assistant Skills To Be Successful