Dental Assistant: What is the cost of hiring?

Why hire a dental assistant?

A dental assistant will help a dentist in their duties and responsibilities. In general, a dental assistant will keep detailed records, perform x-rays and schedule appointments, allowing for the dental office to run efficiently.

Contributions of a great dental assistant:

• Keep and maintain precise records of patients
• Know how to use dental assistant software
• Interact with patients and schedule appointments

What are the different types of dental assistants?

Dental assistants have different ranks depending on the type of training they have. In Canada, a dental assistant is a regulated health profession, meaning they have particular duties they are allowed to perform depending on their rank. The following is a list of the three types of dental assistants found in Canada.

• Level 1 Dental Assistant: Help prepare and seat patients. Will also perform such duties as giving instructions to patients after procedures.
• Level 2 Dental Assistant: Can perform tooth polishing and whitening and apply topical anesthetics before a procedure.
• Level 2 intra-oral dental assistant: Can perform everything the level 2 dental assistant can, but also assist during procedures.

Where to find a dental assistant

To find the right dental assistant for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

• Professional associations: professional associations for dental assistants are a great resource when looking to hire a dental assistant. Often you can post jobs on their job boards that only members can access. This means that the applicants will be dental assistants that have the proper training and experience.
• Dental assistant schools: dental assistants must go through training in order to enter the profession. Schools will often have job boards for new graduates meaning the candidates that you find here will be up-to-date on any new technology or information needed for the job.
• Referrals: asking friends, family, and colleagues can be a great way to find a dental assistant. By asking for a referral, you might be able to find a candidate that you know has the proper training and is reliable.

Post your job online: Try posting your dental assistant job on Indeed to find and attract quality dental assistant candidates.

Skills to look for in a great dental assistant

A great dental assistant candidate will have the following skills and attributes, as well as work experience that reflects:

• expert knowledge of good oral hygiene
• expert knowledge of dental equipment
• ability to perform various dental procedures
• excellent communication and customer service skills
• time management skills
• good organizational skills

Writing a dental assistant job description

A thoughtful description is important for finding qualified dental assistant candidates. A dental assistant job description includes a compelling summary of the role, a detailed list of duties and responsibilities, and the required and preferred skills for the position.

When writing your dental assistant job description, consider including some or all of the following keywords to improve the visibility of your job posting. These are the most popular search terms leading to clicks on dental assistant jobs, according to Indeed data:

• dental assistant
• dental
• certified dental assistant
• chairside dental assistant
• dental assistant level 2

Interviewing dental assistant candidates

Strong candidates for dental assistant positions will be confident answering questions regarding:

• Experience using dental equipment
• Experience performing dental procedures
• Experience dealing with difficult customers
• Willingness to learn new dental procedures/technology
• Ability to perform office management duties

Need help coming up with interview questions? See our list of dental assistant interview questions for examples (with sample answers).