The dental assistant works under a dentist’s supervision to prepare equipment that will be used in dentistry procedures, to ready patients for these procedures, and to help the dentist during these procedures by passing instruments, holding the suction catheter in place, and generally anticipating the dentist’s needs. Some dental assistants are trained to perform more sophisticated functions such as removing sutures, processing x-rays and taking the oral impressions that are used to fit crowns.Individual states vary greatly in their definitions of the dental assistant’s scope of practice. In general, however, the dental assistant’s primary responsibilities lie in three areas:
- Patient Care: The dental assistant is responsible for obtaining the patient chart and laying out the equipment that the dentist will use during the upcoming procedure; settling the patient in the treatment chair; and performing non-invasive procedures to prepare the patient for the upcoming procedure (for example: applying a topical anesthetic to the patient’s gums, or positioning a dental dam.) During a dental procedure, the dental assistant will wield the oral suction cannula and hand equipment to the dentist as needed. Dental assistants are also charged with teaching the basics of oral hygiene and instructing patients in follow-up care after the procedure is through.
- Office Duties: The dental assistant updates patient records as instructed by the dentist. He or she may also perform receptionist duties, fielding patient phone calls, scheduling patient appointments, and confirming upcoming appointments with patients. Some dental assistants also perform light bookkeeping activities and inventory control. These dental assistants may send invoices, receive payments and order supplies as needed.
- Laboratory Duties: In most states, dental assistants who work in laboratories must meet specific training requirements. These dental assistants prepare casts of the teeth from oral impressions, clean and polish removable bridges and dentures, and make temporary crowns. Additionally, some dental assistants double as radiology technicians, taking and processing x-rays of patients’ mouths.
