Dental Assistant Resume Examples & Templates
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Dental assistants are instrumental in ensuring the smooth operation of dental offices. They support dental staff in various capacities and are key contributors to the office’s overall success. By managing patient scheduling, assisting with dental procedures, and maintaining impeccable office organization, they help create a positive and efficient working environment.
With our expertly crafted dental assistant resume samples and professional tips, we’ll guide you in creating a resume that highlights your organizational skills, your ability to build strong relationships with patients and team members and your proficiency in dental office procedures. Our resources are designed to showcase your qualifications in a way that resonates with dental practices looking for competent and dedicated assistants.
Start by editing this sample resume for a dental assistant position, or explore our library of customizable resume templates to find one that matches your unique style.
Sample resume for a dental assistant (text version)
Beth Gifford
New Rochelle, NY 10538
(555) 555-5555
example@example.com
Summary Statement
Amiable dental assistant with over two years of experience in a private dental office. Skilled at taking dental X-rays, preparing dental impressions and assisting dental hygienists and dentists. Able to schedule routine procedures, maintain patient records and develop a playful rapport with my regular patients.
Professional Skills
- Scheduling
- Fully trained in booking and maintaining appointments through various scheduling tools, including Luma Health, Appointment Plus, Acuity
- Scheduling and Booker.
- Confirm and update appointments for an average of 45 patients a day.
- Maintain and organize the professional schedules for three dentists at a private practice, ensuring that no professional is double-booked and reducing patient wait times by 13%.
- Organization
- Update records of dental treatments in electronic and paper form to ensure full coverage of patient information.
- Keep 200 records of dental treatments and X-rays as they occur, ensuring optimal patient care and follow-up treatments.
- Reorganized the supply closet to increase access to necessary safety equipment and protective covers.
- Sterile Preparation
- Prepare patients and work areas for treatments and procedures by laying out sterile bips, swabs, suction hoses, curing lights and surgical tools.
- Sterilize all dental instruments and procedure locations, ensuring timely procedures and reducing appointment delays.
- Prepared treatment rooms for patients by following prescribed protocols and procedures.
Work History
August 2019 – Current
ABC Dental Practice – New Rochelle, NY
Dental Assistant
July 2018 – September 2019
Eastern Dental – White Plains, NY
Dental Intern
Summary of Qualifications
- Give full attention to patients to ensure they are comfortable from registration through to the procedure.
- Keep confidential patient files that are well-organized, thorough and securely stored.
- Fully trained in rigorous cleaning and sterilization procedures to ensure a clean and safe environment for both dentists and patients.
Education
May 2019
The College of Westchester White Plains, NY
Associate of Science Dental Assisting
Important resume sections
Contact details
Add your contact information to the top of your resume so prospective employers can contact you for an interview. As our example of a dental assistant resume shows, your contact information must include your full name, city, state and ZIP code, phone number and professional email address. If you have a LinkedIn profile, add this last.
Personal statement
A dental assistant resume summary is a three-to-five-sentence statement that tells the hiring manager how long you’ve been in the industry, your strongest job-relevant skills and one or two quantifiable accomplishments that speak to your positive impact in past roles. For example:
Committed and skilled dental assistant with over five years of experience in providing critical support in fast-paced dental practices. Proficient in a wide range of dental procedures, patient care, and office management tasks. Demonstrated ability to enhance patient satisfaction through effective communication and a compassionate approach. Successfully implemented a patient scheduling system that reduced wait times by 20% and increased office efficiency. Strong organizational skills and a proven track record in improving workflow and assisting dental professionals to optimize patient treatment plans and care.
See our expertly crafted examples for additional dental assistant resume summary examples. If you are just starting out in your career, it’s better to write a resume objective for an office manager instead.
Skills
When creating your dental assistant resume, ensure you balance hard and soft skills to showcase your comprehensive capabilities in both clinical and administrative areas. Use bullet points to clearly articulate these skills. Here are some essential skills you should consider including:
- Organization and Time Management: Highly organized and efficient in managing patient flow, scheduling appointments and maintaining accurate patient records. Ability to handle multiple tasks and prioritize responsibilities effectively to meet daily dental office operations.
- Communication: Strong verbal and written communication skills for effectively interacting with patients, explaining treatment plans and coordinating with dental professionals.
- Patient Care: Compassionate and attentive, with a focus on making patients feel comfortable and informed throughout their dental visit.
- Team Collaboration: Excellent team player who collaborates effectively with dentists and other dental staff to ensure top-quality care and efficient office management.
Ensure that the skills listed on your resume match those mentioned in the job description to which you are applying. This alignment shows potential employers that you have the specific qualifications they are looking for in a new hire. For more detailed examples of how to format this section, refer to our sample dental assistant resumes.
Work history
Your resume should include a detailed work history section, even if this is your first professional job. List your most recent position first, along with the company name, location and the dates you worked there.
For each job, include three bullet points that highlight measurable achievements. Here are some examples adapted for a dental assistant:
- Spearheaded the transition from paper to digital patient records, reducing paper usage by 30% and enhancing access to patient information for the dental team.
- Overhauled the dental supply ordering process, achieving a 20% cost reduction by negotiating better terms with suppliers and optimizing stock levels.
- Developed and implemented a comprehensive onboarding program for new dental assistants, reducing their training period by 25% and significantly improving new hire satisfaction and retention.
Explore our resume examples for dental assistants to see additional work history section samples.
Education
Your resume must include an education section, showcasing your academic background. Start with your highest degree and list your educational history in reverse-chronological order. Use bullet points for clarity and include the name of each institution, its location and your graduation year.
If your education does not include college, be sure to list your high school diploma and detail any post-secondary classes or training you’ve undertaken since graduating. This might include certifications relevant to dental assisting or any other specialized training that prepares you for the profession.
Explore how to list education on a resume with our additional tips and examples, tailored to enhance a dental assistant resume. This guidance will help you format your educational achievements to appeal to potential employers, ensuring your qualifications are presented effectively.
See why MyPerfectResume is a 5-star resume builder
Action words for your resume
To make your skills and experience shine, use a combination of action verbs and numbers on your resume.
Here is a short list of powerful action words to consider using on a resume for a dental assistant job:
- Assist
- Prepare
- Clean
- Sterilize
- Educate
- Process
- Schedule
- Record
- Document
- Help
- Explain
- Polish
- Maintain
- Organize
- Monitor
- Administer
- Communicate
- Plan
Want more inspiration? We have 800+ resume examples to help you write a professional dental assistant resume.
Best skills for your resume
Review the job description for your target role closely and match the skills listed under the requirements to your skills and traits. You’ll want to populate your resume with both technical dental assistant skills and general interpersonal skills.
Consider some of the following dental assistant skills for your resume:
- Patient care
- Patient education
- Chair-side assistance
- Knowledge of various dental procedures
- Coronal polishing
- Oral hygiene
- Sterile preparation
- Infection control
- Equipment and instrument handling
- Dental radiography
- Medical history taking
- Dental records management
- Record-keeping
- Appointment scheduling
- Booker
- Luma Health
- Administration
- Billing and accounts
- Customer service
- Attention to detail
- Dexterity
- Active listening
- Verbal and written communication
- Organization
- Time management
- Teamwork
- Collaboration
Need a professional resume now? Our Resume Builder has all the tools you need to create an attention-grabbing resume in minutes! Just fill in one of our dental assistant resume templates or any other template that suits your needs. You can then make edits as you go, download your finished resume and save it in any file format you want.
Certifications for your resume
Licensure and certification requirements for dental assistants vary significantly across different states. In some regions, dental offices may require candidates to hold certifications while other areas may have more flexible credentialing requirements.
Regardless, possessing certifications can greatly enhance your resume, demonstrating your commitment to the dental profession and your mastery of specialized skills and knowledge.
For dental assistants looking to bolster their qualifications, several certifications are particularly valuable:
- Certified Preventive Functions Dental Assistant (CPFDA) Certification
- Certified in Dental Infection Prevention and Control (CDIPC) Certification
- Radiology Certification for Dental Auxiliaries
- CPR Certification
Each of these certifications can make a significant difference in showcasing your qualifications and readiness for a dental assistant role, making you a more attractive candidate to potential employers.
Pair your resume with a matching cover letter
FAQ
What skills do I include in a resume for a dental assistant job?
When creating your dental assistant resume skills section, it’s crucial to showcase a balanced mix of hard and soft skills that highlight your technical proficiency and interpersonal abilities. Include hard skills such as coronal polishing, dental X-ray operation, and instrument sterilization, which demonstrate your practical dental knowledge and technical capability.
Equally important are soft skills like attention to detail, effective communication and teamwork, which are essential for a harmonious dental office environment.
To tailor your resume for specific job opportunities, carefully review the job posting and incorporate the skills it emphasizes—provided these skills genuinely reflect your experience and abilities. This targeted approach shows potential employers that you possess the exact qualifications they are seeking.
For further inspiration on which skills to include and how to effectively format them, refer to our detailed guide on dental assistant resume skills. Additionally, our sample resumes for dental assistants offer practical examples of well-constructed skills sections that can help you stand out to hiring managers.
What is a good objective for a resume for a dental assistant role?
To create a good dental assistant objective for your resume succinctly encapsulate your career aspirations and the qualifications that make you a standout candidate. Begin by stating the specific type of dental assistant position you are seeking.
Follow this by showcasing your relevant skills and experiences, emphasizing how they align with the needs of the position. Highlight unique qualities and notable accomplishments that differentiate you from other candidates, always focusing on the value you can bring to the dental practice.
Keep the language concise and to the point, avoiding personal pronouns and unnecessary details. For guidance and inspiration, refer to well-crafted resume objective examples for dental assistants.
An objective statement is most appropriate if you have limited work experience in the field. For those with extensive experience, a professional summary is more suitable as it allows you to elaborate on your skills and past job successes in greater detail.
How do you write a dental assistant resume with no experience?
Crafting an effective resume as an aspiring dental assistant without direct work experience involves strategically showcasing your relevant qualifications. Focus on the technical knowledge and skills acquired through your education and training. Highlight your proficiency in using dental equipment and emphasize your familiarity with software tools commonly used in dental practices.
Include any supervised practical experiences gained during your training, such as clinical rotations or externships. Additionally, list any part-time jobs, internships, volunteer roles, or extracurricular activities that have helped you develop transferable skills like patient or customer management, which are invaluable in a dental assistant position.
To effectively present your qualifications and draw attention away from your lack of job-specific experience, consider using a functional or combination resume format. This style allows you to prioritize your skills and educational background while still including any non-dental work experience that demonstrates your capability to manage responsibilities and interact with the public.
For best results, utilize a professional resume template designed for dental assistant positions. This will help ensure your resume is organized and engaging, making it easier for hiring managers to recognize your potential value to their team.
Best practices
- Quantify your business management successes to clearly demonstrate the impact of your skills and experience.
- Employ dynamic verbs to add energy and clarity to your descriptions, making your contributions stand out.
- Customize your resume for each specific business management position by incorporating keywords and skills from the job description.
- Ensure your resume format is compatible with Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and easy for recruiters to read, using clear fonts and organized layouts.
- Misrepresent your background. Always be truthful about your qualifications and experiences. Exaggerations or falsehoods can damage your professional reputation.
- Overstate your abilities. Avoid claims like being the “most competent business management professional ever.” Stick to factual and professional language.
- Include irrelevant personal details. Leave out non-professional information such as ethnicity or age that does not pertain to your business management capabilities.
- List non-relevant skills. Only include skills and experiences directly related to the business management role you are applying for, to keep your resume focused and relevant.
- Skip proofreading. Thoroughly review your resume for any spelling or grammatical errors. A polished, error-free resume reflects your professionalism and attention to detail.
Interview tips
Research.
Before your interview, it’s crucial to invest time in researching the dental practice or organization. This preparation not only demonstrates your initiative but also provides valuable insights that can enhance your interview responses. Here are key areas you should explore:
- Company Background: Familiarize yourself with the dental office’s history, the scope of its operations, and its locations. Understanding whether you’re interviewing at a small family practice, a dental chain or a specialized clinic will help you tailor your questions and answers to the specific environment.
- Services and Patient Demographics: Learn about the types of services the dental office offers, such as general dentistry, pediatric dentistry, orthodontics, or cosmetic procedures. Knowing the clinic’s target market, whether they cater to families, young professionals, or another group, will help you discuss how your skills and experiences align with their needs.
- Industry Trends: Research current trends in the dental industry, such as the adoption of new technologies like digital impressions and laser dentistry, or shifts in patient care practices. This knowledge will allow you to speak confidently about how you can contribute to the practice amidst evolving industry standards.
By researching these areas, you show your prospective employer that you are enthusiastic and proactive about joining their team. Demonstrating your understanding of the practice’s operations and the broader industry context can significantly differentiate you from other candidates.
Practice.
Practice does make perfect. To prepare for your interview, start by reviewing the most common interview questions, such as:
- How did you hear about this position?
- What do you see yourself doing in 10 years?
- Explain how you would be an asset to this practice.
Also, think about some possible behavioral questions, such as:
- Describe a time when you had to face a stressful scenario.
- Talk about a time when you were under a heavy workload. How did you handle it?
- Talk about a time when communications broke down, and the person you talked with misunderstood you.
Also, prepare for job-specific questions, including:
- Can you describe your experience with dental procedures and equipment?
- What is your experience with dental software and scheduling appointments?
- What are the most important qualities for a dental assistant to have? How do you embody them?
- Describe a challenging situation you faced in a previous dental assistant role and how you resolved it.
Write down two or three possible answers for each question, then practice answering them with a friend or family member.
Ask questions.
When interviewing for a dental assistant position, it’s important for the candidate to ask thoughtful questions to the hiring manager.
These questions can help demonstrate an interest in the role, clarify expectations and assess if the dental practice is a good fit. Here are some questions that a dental assistant might consider asking during an interview:
- What would a typical day look like for a dental assistant here?
- What is the workflow like here and how do the dental assistant’s responsibilities fit into that workflow?
- Can you tell me more about the practice’s values, priorities and approach to patient care?
- Can you describe the team I would be working with?
Prepare references.
Have professional references ready before your interview — you never know if the hiring manager might want to contact them immediately. Ask a former supervisor and two former colleagues who can speak about your performance as a dental assistant and who you are confident will give you a stellar review.
If you’re new to the working world and don’t have former coworkers for reference, you can get contacts from a former college professor or instructor, volunteer coordinator, internship manager, classmate or community leader who will provide positive feedback about your ability to perform the job.
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Dental Assistant
Dr. Jasmine Escalera, a seasoned Career Expert with 15+ years of experience, dedicated to supporting professionals in finding the right roles, fostering inclusive workplaces, and advocating for equitable pay.
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