Dental Assistant
Help Dentists care for patients through hands-on support and administrative tasks.
Job opportunities
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Jobs in Jobstreet right now
Job growth
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In the last year
Salary
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Typical monthly salary
Job satisfaction
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Job opportunities
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Jobs in Jobstreet right now
Salary
-
Typical monthly salary
Job growth
-
In the last year
Job satisfaction
-
What's it like to be a Dental Assistant?
Dental Assistants are employed in dentist offices and clinics to handle administrative duties such as organizing files, scheduling appointments, greeting patients and following up on laboratory work. Dental Assistants can also support Dentists while they’re treating patients. They assist by handing and placing instruments like mirrors and suction tubes. After treatment, Dental Assistants may be tasked with billing patients and providing home care instructions. They also sterilize dental instruments and may perform troubleshooting for minor equipment issues.
Tasks and duties
- Managing and updating patient records.
- Welcoming patients and helping them get settled before their treatments.
- Ensuring that the room, trays, tables and instruments are clean and sterilized.
- Preparing the proper instruments and materials before a procedure.
- Assisting Dentists during treatments.
- Monitoring inventory of supplies, and maintaining dental equipment and instruments.
How to become a Dental Assistant
To become a Dental Assistant, you need a relevant qualification. Experience in a dental clinic is beneficial.
- Complete secondary education. To prepare yourself for this role, take the STEM (Science Technology Engineering Mathematics) track.
- Finish a certificate or vocational course on dental hygiene or a similar field. The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) offers courses on dental hygiene and dental laboratory technology services, which prepare you to be Dental Assistant.
- Gain work experience. You could gain knowledge of the work environment by first taking on an administrative role in a dental office or clinic.
- Get certified by the Professional Regulation Commission. Securing a professional license after finishing a certificate gives you an edge over other applicants. This can also open pathways to grow your career from Dental Assistant to Dental Hygienist or Dental Laboratory Technician.
Compare your salary
Find out how your salary compares with the average salary for Dental Assistants.
Latest Dental Assistant jobs on Jobstreet
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Skills and experience employers are looking for
Having the right skills and experience can make you an in-demand applicant. Dental Assistant employers on Jobstreet are looking for job seekers with expertise in the following areas.
Source: Jobstreet job ads and Jobstreet Profile data
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