Dental Assistantsresume guide.
Perform limited clinical duties under the direction of a dentist. A strong Dental Assistants resume shows active listening, speaking and reading comprehension, and names the tools you have worked with, such as Henry Schein Dentrix, Microsoft Office software and Microsoft Excel.
See a sample Dental Assistants resumeAnnotated against this guide · 3 templates↓This guide, on a real page.
A Dental Assistants resume built in ResumeXRays, annotated against the data below. Flip the pages, try a template, then make it yours.
- 1Say what your expanded duties free up.More states let assistants take on expanded duties, and those roles pay more. Chair hours handed back to the dentist show why an office wants an expanded functions assistant.
- 2Name the digital tools you use.Offices are moving from putty impressions to intraoral scanners. Fewer remakes shows you use the scanner well, not just that you have touched one.
- 3Show you can help train new people.Many practices still find it hard to hire assistants. Getting new hires ready in six weeks, using Henry Schein Dentrix, the hot tool in this guide, tells a busy office you can help fill the gap.
- 4Show the result, not just the task.The guide lists helping the dentist with medical emergencies as a core task. Say what you did and how it turned out.
- 5Write out each credential in full.Give the full name of each certificate and permit, who issued it, the state and that it is active. What an assistant may do depends on the state, so the permit name tells the office what you are allowed to do.
- 6Keep education to one line.Most dental assistants train through a certificate program after high school, so the program and year are enough.
Sample resume. The candidate is fictional; the layout and templates are real.
01Also called
O*NET02Skills employers expect
O*NETImportance is how much the skill matters to the job; level is how much of it the job demands. Both are worth naming on the resume, in this order.
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Active Listening | High | Intermediate |
| Speaking | High | Intermediate |
| Reading Comprehension | High | Intermediate |
| Active Learning | High | Intermediate |
| Instructing | High | Intermediate |
| Monitoring | High | Intermediate |
| Service Orientation | High | Intermediate |
| Social Perceptiveness | High | Intermediate |
| Complex Problem Solving | High | Intermediate |
| Critical Thinking | High | Intermediate |
03Knowledge areas
O*NET- Customer and Personal Service
- Medicine and Dentistry
- English Language
- Administration and Management
- Administrative
- Computers and Electronics
- Sales and Marketing
- Production and Processing
- Personnel and Human Resources
- Psychology
04Common responsibilities
O*NETOrdered by importance. Each one is a bullet waiting for a result and a number.
- Prepare patient, sterilize or disinfect instruments, set up instrument trays, prepare materials, or assist dentist during dental procedures.
- Record treatment information in patient records.
- Assist dentist in management of medical or dental emergencies.
- Order and monitor dental supplies and equipment inventory.
- Expose dental diagnostic x-rays.
- Provide postoperative instructions prescribed by dentist.
- Instruct patients in oral hygiene and plaque control programs.
- Take and record medical and dental histories and vital signs of patients.
- Apply protective coating of fluoride to teeth.
- Schedule appointments, prepare bills and receive payment for dental services, complete insurance forms, and maintain records, manually or using computer.
05Software and tools
O*NET10 tools across 6 categories. Hot marks a hot technology, In demand a tool employers ask for most often.
- Henry Schein DentrixHotIn demand
- Patterson Dental Supply Patterson EagleSoft
- Kodak Dental Systems Kodak SOFTDENT Practice management software PMS
- Open Dental
- The Systems Workplace TDOCS
- Quicken
- Web browser softwareIn demand
- Microsoft Office softwareHotIn demand
- Microsoft ExcelHotIn demand
06Education and preparation
O*NET07Putting it on your resume
ResumeXRays guidanceLead with the credential and the record. Job Zone 3 roles usually ask for training, a license or a few years of related experience. Put those on the first screen, then show what you did with them.
List the software you have actually used. Employers scan for Henry Schein Dentrix, Microsoft Office software and Microsoft Excel. Put the ones you know in a skills line, spelled the way the vendor spells them.
Show speaking and reading comprehension, not just active listening. Speaking and reading comprehension rank close to active listening for this occupation. One bullet per role that shows a decision, a tradeoff or a result covers them.
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