Dental assistants play a significant role in a dental team at every dental office. If you want to become a dental assistant, it can be helpful to know what you can do to be a good one. A dental assistant works not only with patients but with their colleagues, too, and always aims to provide a positive experience to everyone.
In this post, we explain what a dental assistant is, as well as what their job entails and what one can do to be an excellent dental assistant:
What Exactly Is a Dental Assistant?
Dental assistants are dental professionals who provide support to the dentist and handle various tasks in the dental office. They have a good grasp of the tools and materials they need to carry out their job and understand their duties.
Some of their main responsibilities include helping the dentist with treatment plans, taking x-rays and dental impressions, and preparing dental equipment for procedures. They also answer questions from patients, as well as helping them to feel comfortable and take part in examinations.
What Do They Do?
Dental assistants work at every stage of treatment, from greeting patients and explaining what will be done to taking x-rays and applying dental materials. They also help patients feel more comfortable during their visit by explaining the procedure.
They have a lot of responsibilities:
- Creating and maintaining patients’ records
- Assisting a dental team in preparing for procedures
- Working with the dentist to create treatment plans
- Taking dental impressions
- Assisting in orthodontic and other dental procedures
- Making sure the office is clean
How Can One Become a Good Dental Assistant?
Is being an excellent dental assistant about having the tools and the knowledge to do it? Yes and no. The profession requires more than just education and technical skills. Here are some ways to be a good dental assistant:
1. Improve Your Communication Skills
Dental assistants have to communicate with their patients, as well as with other dental team members. Communication skills are key, whether it is about explaining complicated procedures or just making sure everything is on track for a patient’s visit.
2. Learn to Be Proactive
Being a good dentist assistant requires one to be proactive and resourceful. This requires one to come up with solutions and act quickly to solve a problem. They need to be observant and be able to pick the best option for a given situation.
3. Collaborate with Others
Good dental assistants will be able to work together with the team, given that they know how to work with others. They are not afraid to ask questions and learn from their coworkers.
4. Get Proper Training
The first thing that dental assistants need to do to be good at it is to get a degree. After that, there will be on-the-job training, which will help one to hone their skills.
Conclusion
Dental assistants need to be more than just skilled and trained. They need to be articulate, observant, and resourceful. Dental assistants are a part of the dental team and are constantly working to benefit the team and their patients.
If you want to become a dental assistant, you can start by investing in accredited dental assistant programs so you can be certified.
Northwest Suburban College offers programs that you can take to get a dental assistant certification. Call us today to find out more about our programs so you can start your dental assistant career soon!
