Dental Assistant job description template
Dental assistants work chairside with the dentist: they seat patients, pass instruments, take X-rays, sterilize equipment and keep the schedule moving. Duties like X-rays and coronal polishing require specific permits in many states, so the best posts say which credentials you need and whether you'll help an assistant earn them.
Dental Assistant
Full-timeYour Company is hiring a dental assistant to work chairside with our dentist and team. You'll prepare operatories, help with procedures, take X-rays, sterilize instruments and make sure each patient feels comfortable and informed. We're a small office where assistants are trusted and involved, and where gentle care and good teamwork matter every day. Experienced assistants who hold the credentials our state requires are encouraged to apply.
What you’ll do
- Seat patients, review health history updates and explain what to expect during treatment
- Set up and break down operatories, and pass instruments and materials during procedures
- Take and process dental X-rays as permitted by your state radiography credential
- Sterilize instruments and disinfect operatories following CDC and OSHA guidelines
- Take impressions or digital scans, and pour and trim study models
- Give post-op instructions and answer patients' questions about care at home
- Chart procedures and clinical notes accurately in our practice software
- Restock supplies and keep track of inventory and lab cases
What we’re looking for
- Dental assisting experience or completion of a dental assisting program
- Radiography certification or permit as required by our state
- Current CPR/BLS certification (we can help you renew it)
- Solid knowledge of infection-control and sterilization procedures
- Steady hands, attention to detail and a calm, reassuring way with nervous patients
Nice to have
- RDA, CDA (DANB) or expanded-function (EFDA) credential where our state offers it
- Experience with Dentrix, Eaglesoft or Open Dental
- Experience with intraoral scanners or same-day crowns
Schedule
Full-time, four or five days a week during office hours, with some early mornings and an occasional Saturday.
What we offer
- Discounted dental treatment for you
- Medical insurance for full-time staff
- Vacation days plus paid office holidays
- Help paying for radiography and expanded-function courses
- Uniform allowance
Add your pay, location and schedule when you post. Jobs that show pay get noticeably more applicants.
Dental Assistant our company is hiring a dental assistant to work chairside with our dentist and team. You'll prepare operatories, help with procedures, take X-rays, sterilize instruments and make sure each patient feels comfortable and informed. We're a small office where assistants are trusted and involved, and where gentle care and good teamwork matter every day. Experienced assistants who hold the credentials our state requires are encouraged to apply. What you’ll do • Seat patients, review health history updates and explain what to expect during treatment • Set up and break down operatories, and pass instruments and materials during procedures • Take and process dental X-rays as permitted by your state radiography credential • Sterilize instruments and disinfect operatories following CDC and OSHA guidelines • Take impressions or digital scans, and pour and trim study models • Give post-op instructions and answer patients' questions about care at home • Chart procedures and clinical notes accurately in our practice software • Restock supplies and keep track of inventory and lab cases What we’re looking for • Dental assisting experience or completion of a dental assisting program • Radiography certification or permit as required by our state • Current CPR/BLS certification (we can help you renew it) • Solid knowledge of infection-control and sterilization procedures • Steady hands, attention to detail and a calm, reassuring way with nervous patients Nice to have • RDA, CDA (DANB) or expanded-function (EFDA) credential where our state offers it • Experience with Dentrix, Eaglesoft or Open Dental • Experience with intraoral scanners or same-day crowns Schedule Full-time, four or five days a week during office hours, with some early mornings and an occasional Saturday. What we offer • Discounted dental treatment for you • Medical insurance for full-time staff • Vacation days plus paid office holidays • Help paying for radiography and expanded-function courses • Uniform allowance
Screening questions for a dental assistant
Ask these on the application form to sort applicants quickly. They’re added automatically when you post this template.
- Do you hold a dental radiography certificate or permit that is valid in our state?Yes / No · required
- How many years of chairside dental assisting experience do you have?Short answer · required
- Which procedures are you most comfortable assisting with, and which practice software have you used?Paragraph
Dental Assistant interview questions
- Walk me through how you set up a room for a crown prep, from the tray to suction.
- How do you help a patient who is very anxious about their appointment?
- Explain your sterilization process from the moment instruments leave the operatory.
- Which types of X-rays are you comfortable taking, and how do you avoid retakes?
- What would you do if you saw a coworker skip an infection-control step?
- How do you anticipate what the dentist needs next during a procedure?
- Tell me about a time you helped a busy schedule get back on track.
Tips for hiring a dental assistant
- Look up your state dental board's rules before writing the post. Permits for X-rays, coronal polishing and expanded functions differ a lot from state to state.
- Verify state permits through your dental board's online lookup, and national certifications like the CDA through DANB.
- Hold a paid working interview of a half or full day so the candidate can assist your dentist and get a feel for your office.
- Contact nearby dental assisting programs. Many need externship sites, which gives you a low-pressure way to meet future hires.