4 Important Duties of a Dental Assistant

Dental assistants are very important to the success of a dental practice. There’s much more to being a dental assistant than simply cleaning instruments and assisting the dentist. A dental assistant is the buffer between the patient and the dentist and is often the person a patient will look to for comfort during their dental appointment.

Duties of a Dental Assistant

Here at CTC Associates, we know the importance of quality dental assistants. Below are a few of the most important duties of dental assistants:

• Time should be spent cleaning treatment rooms, trays, and tubs, and restocking burs, treatment rooms, and closets. It’s important that you make sure that the treatment rooms are clean and sanitized at all times.
• If patients arrive early, the dental assistant should seat them immediately and inform the doctor of the patient’s room number and name. Let the doctor know the patients have been seated and let the patients know the estimated wait time for the doctor. In the meantime, review or update the patient’s health history, review the treatment planned for the day or the reason for the day’s visit, and go over the patient’s questions and concerns.
• When assisting the dentist, it’s important to comfort or soothe patients if they need it. This may be the most important part of the job! Some patients want you to hold their hands while others would prefer comforting words. Explain to the patient what is going on as this will minimize their fear of the unknown and assure them that everything is going according to plan.
• During treatment, the dental assistant should be paying close attention to the doctor and any instructions he or she may have. It’s also important to follow the doctor with the light and keep a 2x2 square of alcohol gauze to clean the mouth mirror when needed.

A good dental assisting team is one of the keys to a successful practice. For more information about how to successfully run your dental practice, please contact CTC Associates! We’re here to help you meet your goals for your dental office!