Become a Dental Assistant

What does a dental assistant do?

The typical day of dental assistant often involves a variety of activities, such as greeting and seating patients, preparing and sterilizing the room and instruments for treatment, taking dental radiographs, assisting the dentist with procedures, and giving patients post-treatment care instructions. Most dental assistants work in a general dental practice, but if you work in a specialty practice, you may have the opportunity to perform more specific and complex duties.

For more details about a dental assistant’s duties, you’ll want to check your state’s dental assisting requirements. Many states have different levels for dental assistants and specify which duties dental assistants are allowed to perform at each level.

View state requirements

How long does it take to become a dental assistant?

There is no one answer to this question, since it depends on whether you plan to attend a dental assisting program or if you prefer to learn on the job. Many dental practices are willing to hire a dental assistant with minimal experience and provide training while they begin to work.

However, some dental practices prefer to hire dental assistants with some education and training, for example, so they can take dental radiographs, a very common and important duty many dental assistants perform.

Some dental assisting programs are relatively short, so you can complete them in a few weeks. Other dental assisting programs are longer, usually about 6 to 9 months. The benefit to completing a longer dental assisting program is that you have more knowledge you can bring to the job. Dental assistants also report that having an educational background helps boost their confidence when interacting with patients and their dental colleagues. In some states, you’ll need to complete educational requirements or pass a test to perform certain duties. View dental assisting requirements.

After you’ve completed your education and gained some experience, earning dental assistant certification and having credentials after your name may be your next move. Many dental assistants report that they feel a strong sense of pride in holding national certification. Learn about DANB certification.