Dental assistants are part of a dental care team and work under the direction of dentists. They perform a variety of patient care, office, and laboratory duties. Dental assistants may perform a variety of tasks within a dental office, including both laboratory and office duties. Assistants work closely with, and under the supervision of, dentists. You should not be confused with dental hygienists, who are licensed to perform different clinical tasks.

Dental Assistant Certification in most states will regulate the duties that are allowed to be performing through licensed, registration or certification. Certification is an acknowledgment of a Dental Assistant's qualifications and professional competence and may be an asset when one is seeking employment. Most assistants earn salaries equal to other health care personnel with similar training and experience such as medical assistants, physical therapy assistants, occupational therapy assistants, veterinary technicians and pharmacy assistants. Dental assistants also report excellent career satisfaction.

Educational requirements and skills are usually learned on the job, although some receive training from Dental-Assisting programs offered by community and junior colleges, trade schools, technical institutes, or the Armed Forces. According to the American Dental Association, 87 percent of dentists offer reimbursement for continuing education courses taken by their assistants. Most educational programs take 12 months to complete. For annual recertification, individuals must earn continuing education credits.

Duties performed in this role may include, but are not limited to: operatory maintenance, oral evacuation, identification and transfer of dental instruments, matrix band assembly, anesthetic syringe assembly, fluoride application, exposure and processing of radiographs, and mixing dental materials. Duties include: filing, scanning, data entry and other various responsibilities. Duties of a dental assistant are among the most comprehensive and varied in the dental office. Assistants perform a variety of patient care, office, and laboratory duties. Assistants who perform specialized duties, such as radiological procedures, may have to complete the Radiation Health and Safety examination offered by the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB). Individual states have adopted different standards for assistants who perform certain advanced duties.

Dental assistants should be distinguished from dental hygienists, who generally have a higher level of training and can perform simple dental procedures such as scaling and cleaning. They do not generally work on the patient's teeth directly. Dental assistants must be a second pair of hands for a dentist; therefore, dentists look for people who are reliable, work well with others, and have good manual dexterity. Any with office duties schedule and confirm appointments, receive patients, keep treatment records, send bills, receive payments, and order dental supplies and materials. Assistants held about 280,000 jobs in 2006. They will become certified by passing an examination that evaluates their knowledge.