Essentials of Effective Dental Assisting

Dental assistants are health care professionals who help dentists during various oral care procedures. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment of dental assistants is projected to increase 36 percent from 2008 to 2018. The median annual wage of dental assistants was $32,380 in 2008, based on BLS data. Dental assisting is a critical field that requires an individual to be competent in multiple areas.

Dental Instruments

• An essential of effective dental assisting is knowing the names and uses of different dental instruments. Because dental assistants are responsible for transferring instruments to dentists for dental procedures, they must have a working knowledge of these tools. For example, tools include a mirror and an explorer. The dental assistant is chiefly responsible for preparing and laying out instruments and materials required to treat every patient.

Assisting Skills

• Successful dental assistants understand how to effectively use a saliva ejector to remove excess saliva from a patient's mouth and how to use a high-volume evacuator to remove large particles from the mouth during treatment. In addition, a dental assistant must master skills such as fabricating a temporary crown, taking an impression of patients' teeth, creating study casts of the teeth, applying topical anesthetics to gums and removing sutures during postoperative appointments. Dental assistants must also know administrative duties including scheduling and confirming appointments and processing payments.

Infection Control

• Another essential of effective dental assisting is a strong knowledge of infection control. A dental assistant must wear personal protective equipment such as masks, goggles, gloves and gowns during treatment to guard against infectious disease, as required by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. In addition, the dental assistant must know how to disinfect a dental operatory, clean and sterilize instruments properly and discard hazardous waste, according to the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control.

Radiology

• An extremely important part of a dental assistant's job is taking dental radiographs. In fact, some states require dental assistants to be licensed to complete this task and to complete continuing education to maintain this licensure. Taking dental radiographs correctly is critical because dentists use radiographs to diagnose patient tooth problems they cannot see during a regular clinical examination. In addition, improper radiographic techniques can put a dental patient at risk of unnecessary radiation exposure.