"In my current position, I use Curve Dental every day. We use this program for everything from scheduling patients to handling the billing process. I also use Microsoft Office regularly and am quite familiar with those programs. I am also a very quick learner and can use any program that I've been introduced to with a bit of training."

"I have heard a lot of great feedback about your practice from other people in the neighbourhood. After reading about the work you do to raise money for the local children's hospital I was really drawn to the practice. I think it's great that you try to give back to the communities you work in. I also think the location of the practice is quite ideal for me. I am also really passionate about working with children."

"There aren't many aspects of the job I dislike but I would say I prefer actually working with patients more than I like the clerical duties. Since I'm so outgoing and a people-person I thrive with the customer service aspects of the job. I'm really working on my organizational skills and enjoying that part of the job and process."

"Unfortunately this is a situation that happens every once in a while in any office. It mostly happens when patients think that their insurance company is going to be covering the payment of their visit and they have run out of benefits or for some reason the particular procedure isn't covered. Typically, calling the patients and explaining that they have an outstanding bill is all that is needed."

"Every night before I close the practice I take a look at the inventory. If there is something that is running low I will make a note for myself so that when I arrive in the morning it's what I do first. I also work with all of our vendors to make sure we are getting the best contracts and rates possible for the practice."

"I have a great relationship with all of the Dentists I work with. My current manager would describe me as easy to work with and highly organized. I make her job easier by understanding what her needs are, what equipment she needs, and when. It's also important that I help to maintain proper inventory so nothing ever runs out. Lastly, I take on any simple procedures to clear time for the Dentist."

"When I start a new job, I make sure that I sit down with the Dentist I will be working with to understand how they like the room set up. I make notes for myself and make sure that I follow these guidelines with every patient that comes into the practice. I make sure that as soon as a patient leaves a room, sterilizing the equipment is the first thing I do so that the room is prepared right away."

"I am more confident in my ability to perform administrative and clerical tasks. I am highly organized and any practice I work for benefits greatly from my organizational skills. I would say my patient skills are great but I need more experience working with difficult clients and conflict resolution. Often I shy away from any conflict and rely on others to help me manage difficult patients."

"I once had a patient who was quite upset that they weren't able to get the appointment time they were requesting. December was a very busy time for the practice and they were trying to get an appointment last-minute. I was able to calm them down and explain to them how busy we were. Fortunately, I was able to rearrange some scheduling to fit them in last minute, so it worked out."

"There are a lot of important skills for a Dental Assistant to have but I think there are three key traits everyone in this position should have. The first is the ability to stay organized with all of the different patients and equipment in the dentistry office. I think the second most important is the ability to multi-task. Lastly, it is important for a Dental Assistant to have strong customer service skills."

"The last dental practice I worked in we had both adult and child patients. I actually preferred working with the children because they are so curious and ask a lot of questions. It's great to be able to teach them all of the things they should know about proper oral hygiene and setting a good example for them early on."

"Proper oral hygiene is incredibly important. I'm a huge advocate that flossing should be in everyone's daily routine. As I have sensitive gums, I make sure that I use a soft toothbrush, which of course I recommend all my patients use. I also typically brush my teeth after every major meal and floss twice a day, once in the morning and once at night."

"I graduated two years ago and, in the time since graduation, I have been working for a small dentistry practice. It was a great opportunity to put in to place a lot of the things I learned in my program and learn some new skills. My time at this dental practice has given me the opportunity to work on some skills like customer service."

"I actually enjoy all aspects of the job but I think my favourite part is the clerical duties. I'm an incredibly organized person and enjoy creating schedules to make sure we are able to accommodate patients and their schedules. I'm also a digitally-savvy person so learning about new programs or ways to optimize our systems is something I'm passionate about."

"It is not uncommon for a patient to come in who is afraid of the Dentist and it's my responsibility to make sure they are comfortable. If someone is afraid I'm always sure to help calm them down. I find that explaining everything the patient is going to experience while they are in the patient chair helps to calm them down and stay that way because they know what to expect."