Dental Assistants

At a Glance

Median Salary
$36,407
Local Jobs
505
Entry-Level Education
Certification

Occupation Profile

Prepare patient, sterilize or disinfect instruments, set up instrument trays, prepare materials, or assist dentist during dental procedures. Record treatment information in patient records. Assist dentist in management of medical or dental emergencies and provide postoperative instructions prescribed by dentist.

By The Numbers

Median Annual Earnings

$36,407

Median Annual Earnings are the midpoint earned by 50 percent of workers who are the lowest paid and 50 percent of workers who are the highest paid in a particular occupation

Local Jobs

505

Jobs are any position in which a worker provides labor in exchange for monetary compensation (note: one individual may hold multiple jobs)

Entry-Level Education

Certification

This is the most common education level requested in entry-level job listings.

Daily Tasks

  • Prepare patient, sterilize or disinfect instruments, set up instrument trays, prepare materials, or assist dentist during dental procedures.
  • Record treatment information in patient records.
  • Assist dentist in management of medical or dental emergencies.
  • Expose dental diagnostic x-rays.
  • Provide postoperative instructions prescribed by dentist.
  • Order and monitor dental supplies and equipment inventory.
  • Instruct patients in oral hygiene and plaque control programs.
  • Take and record medical and dental histories and vital signs of patients.
  • Apply protective coating of fluoride to teeth.
  • Schedule appointments, prepare bills and receive payment for dental services, complete insurance forms, and maintain records, manually or using computer.
  • Make preliminary impressions for study casts and occlusal registrations for mounting study casts.
  • Pour, trim, and polish study casts.
  • Fabricate temporary restorations or custom impressions from preliminary impressions.
  • Clean and polish removable appliances.

Occupational Skills

What skills are necessary for Dental Assistants?

Hard Skills

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
Coronal Polishing
Dentistry
Dynamic Business Process Management
Front Office
Patient Education And Counseling
Patient Preparation
Patient Treatment
Radiography
Sterilization

Soft Skills

Communications
Customer Service
Innovation
Interpersonal Communications
Leadership
Multilingualism
Operations
Self-Motivation
Spanish Language
Verbal Communication Skills

Hard skills are specific, learnable, measurable, often industry- or occupation-specific abilities related to a position.

Soft skills can be self-taught and usually do not necessitate a certain completed level of education. They are essential in many industries and occupations.

Education Programs

Del Mar College

Dental Assistants

Type
Credential
Hours
Online
Financial Aid
Credit
AAS degree
1440
Yes
Yes

Eva Sepulveda

Del Mar College
361-698-2610
esepulve1@delmar.edu

Coastal Bend College

Clinical Dental Assistant

Type
Credential
Hours
Online
Financial Aid
Certificate
Cert
300
Yes
No

Braden Becknell

Coastal Bend College
361-354-2768
bbecknell@coastalbend.edu

Coastal Bend College

Administrative Dental Assistant

Type
Credential
Hours
Online
Financial Aid
Certificate
Cert
150
Yes
No

Braden Becknell

Coastal Bend College
361-354-2768
bbecknell@coastalbend.edu

Coastal Bend College

Dental Hygiene

Type
Credential
Hours
Online
Financial Aid
CTE
AAS
68
No
Yes

Lynn Southerland

Coastal Bend College
(361) 654-2553
lsoutherland@coastalbend.edu
Learn More About

Dental Assistants

Visit Career Coach for in-depth information and available training programs for this job.

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