Skills You Need To Master During Dental Assistant Training
Posted on: 5 July 2022
The ability to work anywhere in the United States and the opportunity to make a great living in a positive work environment may be why you have decided to pursue a career as a dental assistant. At school, you will learn the skills you will need to perform your duties as a dental assistant, and you will also learn other invaluable skills that will ensure you are successful at your job. Here are a few skills you will learn in dental assistant training.
Assisting the Dentist
The most important job as a dental assistant is to complete the tasks you will be assigned by the dentist to help the patient. There are a variety of tasks you will be expected to complete, including:
- Performing X-rays
- Sterilizing instruments
- Providing patients with follow-up instructions
- Controlling infection
These are only a handful of responsibilities you will learn when you train to become a dental assistant. If you have any more questions about the specific skills you will need to have upon completion of the program, contact your program administrator for more information.
Communicating and Listening Abilities
Because you will be working with clients, two of the biggest skills you will learn, and master, are communicating and listening to your patients. Many patients come into the dental office nervous about the procedures. It will be part of your responsibility to work with the patients to help them understand what the dental procedures will entail and calm their fears.
Because you will be working closely with patients, you will need to maintain a professional appearance. In school, you will be taught what is expected of you and how to dress and present yourself in front of your coworkers and patients.
Administrative Skills
You will be asked to take on several administrative tasks as a dental assistant. This will be anything from scheduling appointments and working with insurance providers to giving patients follow-up instructions and answering any questions about payments. Administrative duties are a big part of being a dental assistant and, while you are in school, you will learn how to help your dentist run their business.
Most dental offices operate on specialized software that will help the dentist keep accurate patient records and even help explain the dental procedure by providing a computer-generated model of the patient's mouth or providing a generic image of the mouth that can help the dentist explain the problem areas to the patient. You will learn how to work with some of the most commonly used operating systems, which will prove invaluable when you land your first job out of school.
From learning how to take X-rays to gaining a better understanding of how to interact with patients, there are several unique skills you will learn in dental assistant school.
Contact a local dental school to learn more about dental assisting training classes.
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