Writing a dental assistant job description may feel overwhelming, but it’s a big step toward taking your practice to the next level. By hiring a dental assistant with the right job skills, you’ll improve the overall efficiency of your team (and hopefully decrease your stress).
But before you start looking at dental assistant resumes, you’ve got to write a good dental assistant job listing to attract the right hire. Whether you’re looking for someone to help with the basics or if you need someone more specialized, our three dental assistant job description examples can help you write a job description that’s succinct, powerful, and enticing.
Write a Beaming Dental Assistant Job Description
Unfortunately, most job ads in any field are headed for failure—dental assistant listings included. Why? Well, most are too vague. What you really want is for your brand and company culture to shine like a beacon and draw in the right hire! A good dental assistant will want to know more than the basics.
You’ll need to refine your job description to offer the perfect snapshot of what the role is like, and you want your list of duties to be concise in a way that demonstrates what you’re looking to achieve in the workplace. Show what you’re looking for, and the dental assistant resumes will come flooding in!
Envision who you need on your team and why
Spend time considering the core reasons why you’re looking to hire in the first place to hone the angle of your job description—are your staff members overworked and overwhelmed? Have patients’ wait times become an issue? Did you recently expand your practice, creating new job openings?
By nailing down what you need from your dental assistant, you’ll be able to write a far more effective job description; you’ll avoid sounding too generic, and you’ll attract the candidates who are most likely to click with the position!
- Any open dental assistant position comes with a varied set of requirements, both administrative and clinical, and you want your job description to embody the qualities you need in your new hire. If you reflect on what you’re seeking in your job description, then you’ll find the right fit much faster.
- Of course, you want your new dental assistant to be personable with a warm bedside manner, but does your job description sound equally friendly and inviting?
- Your new hire will need to be efficient and communicative in order to keep up with everything—but do you clearly outline the details?
- Finding a candidate who fits your company culture is vital—do you show what their work environment will be like so that they know what to expect?
Polish your dental assistant job description
While it’s tempting to brain-dump all you can think of in your job description, to avoid missing important details, don’t go overboard! Indulge in a good brainstorming session, but spend time revising and editing your job ad before you post it. Make bulleted lists concise and readable.
And it’s worth mentioning again—make sure you double or triple-check for any embarrassing typos or formatting issues. Also, while you may want to ensure your candidates can handle the most advanced tasks in your job description, don’t forget to list the minimum requirements as well!
Outline Your Dental Assistant Job Description
Now that you’ve gotten a feel for how a dental assistant job description should look by reading our examples and handy tips, let’s break things down into a useful outline that you can use to get started on writing your own!
Job details
This info is at the forefront of any applicant’s mind—what’ll they be doing? What’s the schedule like, and how flexible is it? How fast-paced is the work environment? What about the balance of administrative vs. clinical tasks?
Answer questions like these preemptively in your post so that candidates don’t have to ask—because, unfortunately, they probably won’t! Vague job descriptions get passed by daily, and you don’t want yours to be ignored.
About the company
Most people want to know who they’re working for, instead of feeling like they’re applying to a faceless company with no personality. If your job description is bland, then no desirable dental assistant will want to apply because they’ll assume that the job role is just as underwhelming!
Discuss the values and vision behind your company so applicants can determine whether they’re a good fit. Make sure the tone of your job description matches your company culture—it’s okay to let loose and include a bit of slang or humor in a more laid-back role, but keep informalities to a minimum if your work environment is more corporate.
What you’ll be doing
Have you ever looked at a job description for a job title that you know you’re qualified for and been left confused and unsure if you meet the requirements? Yeah, us too. In fact, many hiring managers neglect to include any duties at all!
Make sure a prospective dental assistant knows the job responsibilities precisely because they can vary significantly.
- Greet new clients and complete standard questionnaires to learn when they were last seen and what type of care they’re here for
- Lead patients back to their respective examination rooms and update them on what’s happening next
- Wait at the ready to run small errands for our dentists, such as obtaining patient records or relaying special requests to other staff members
Qualifications
Many job descriptions either stuff or starve this section. Both sides forget the goal—to give a snapshot of the skills required to do the job. You shouldn’t list every possible qualification, nor should you assume that a degree and license are enough.
Be descriptive, but remember that qualifications aren’t everything, and sometimes amazing candidates might not have the experience yet.
- 4+ years of experience in dental assistance
- Experience with or ability to quickly learn accounting and project management software like Axium
- Scheduling flexibility, willingness to adapt hours based on operational needs to ensure patient wellness
Benefits
“What’s in it for me?” No one wants to ask that question, so set desirable candidates’ minds at ease by giving them the info upfront. Always list the salary of your dental assistant position clearly, and mention any snazzy opportunities like bonuses, paid education plans, or wellness programs.
Your organization may be a treat to work for, but let applicants know about it ahead of time! Laying everything you offer out on the table also demonstrates transparency and establishes a rapport with potential applicants.
Functions & Roles for a Dental Assistant
The dental assistant field covers many tasks and roles, as you’ve undoubtedly noticed from the job description samples you just read!
Here are some examples of common obstacles you might face along with a dental assistant role that could provide the ideal solution; one person probably won’t fill every role, but these should give you some inspiration for your own job description.
The kid-friendly caretaker
It’s a tale as old as time: lots of kids are scared to go to the dentist. Going in for a filling—or even a routine cleaning—can be a strange and intimidating experience for many children. But hiring the right pediatric dental assistant as your “kid-friendly caretaker” can help bring in a bit of cheer.
- Adapt to mishaps calmly and collaborate efficiently with dentists to smooth things over without distressing pediatric patients
- This role requires great communication skills alongside an especially high level of compassion and patience. And don’t forget about that fun personality!
Dental tech pro
Plenty of people with impacted wisdom teeth, cavities, or sub-par fillings need to get x-rays taken of their teeth and jaws. Not every dental assistant is well-versed in this area, but a dental tech pro, such as a radiology assistant, has the fine-tuned skills needed to get the job done.
- Process, expose, and mount x-rays
- The technical prowess of this role requires an aptitude for machinery and related documentation, the ability to methodically guide patients through the x-ray process, and sometimes even specialized credentials like radiography certification.
Prep and cleaning expert
Do you have a well-rounded team, but still find things lacking in the clinical department? If you have more people answering phones than assisting with routine dental cleanings, you may need someone for clinical prep and cleanup; this will streamline patient rotation and avoid putting guests through long wait times.
- Clean patients’ teeth and sterilize equipment before and after visits
- This role calls for a basic familiarity with clinical dental care and anatomy, alongside wonderful customer service and communication skills.
Up-and-coming helper
On the flip side of things, you may have a team that’s highly efficient at providing patient care, but struggling to keep up with the administrative tasks that are integral to a smooth client experience. Hiring a dental assistant who’s up-and-coming but eager to learn could be the perfect solution to your woes.
- Greet new clients and complete standard questionnaires to learn when they were last seen and what type of care they’re here for
- This role is definitely entry-level, almost on par with an internship, so the skills required for it are more on the simplistic and routine side—this often unregistered type of dental assistant will mainly need to know the basics of tool preparation, customer intake, and clerical work like scheduling appointments.
The versatility guru
A more experienced and versatile dental assistant usually provides a helpful range of skills such as basic x-ray prep and procedural assistance like mixing compounds.
However, a versatility guru usually takes on fewer managerial roles than more experienced experts like registered dental assistants do. So, if your office is lacking someone who can easily handle basic assistance tasks while also mentoring new team members, then seek out versatility!
- Clean and stock treatment rooms, and ensure that tools are properly sterilized after use
- Walk new team members through basic clinical tasks
- This role requires superb communication and prioritization skills—along with a strong ability to balance instructions from higher-ups with sound judgment calls and readiness to help entry-level dental assistants.
The bracer’s sidekick
Have you had an increasing demand for some well-fitted sets of braces lately, but noticed that many of your existing staff members seem unsure of how best to assist your office’s orthodontist? A “bracer’s sidekick” like an orthodontic dental assistant sounds like the way to go!
- Pass orthodontists’ tools as needed, and mix adhesives and other materials during brace fittings
- For this role, your new hire should have a bit more working knowledge of how braces and other corrective devices are fitted and applied. But they should still have a great bedside manner and be ready to perform routine assistance tasks like sterilization and patient guidance, too!
The master tooth clinicians
Has your practice expanded, fueling your hopes of upping the ante when it comes to client care? If you’re looking to increase the reputation of your dental team, then you might need to hire someone more skilled, like a registered dental assistant—these master tooth clinicians have to pass written and clinical examinations in order to earn their titles, giving them a more diverse and in-depth set of skills.
- Assist in diagnostic procedures, create and provide temporary restorations, and help with crown fittings and fillings
- The master tooth clinician’s level of expertise requires special technical certifications, plus familiarity with polishing and varnishing tools, alongside the full range of chairside assistant duties.
