Dental Assistants | What Do They Do?

Dental assistants typically do the following:

• Work with patients to make them comfortable in the dental chair and to prepare them for treatments and procedures
• Sterilize dental instruments
• Prepare the work area for patient treatment by setting out instruments and materials
• Help dentists by handing them instruments during procedures
• Keep patients’ mouths dry by using suction hoses or other equipment
• Instruct patients in proper dental hygiene
• Process x rays and do lab tasks under the direction of a dentist
• Keep records of dental treatments
• Schedule patient appointments
• Work with patients on billing and payment

Assistants who do lab tasks, such as making casts of a patient’s teeth, work under the direction of a dentist. They might prepare materials for a cast of teeth or create temporary crowns.

All dental assistants do tasks such as helping dentists with procedures and keeping patient records, but there are four regulated tasks that assistants may also be able to do, depending on the state where they work.

• Coronal polishing
• Sealant application
• Fluoride application
• Topical anesthetics application