Skills To Put In The Resume For A Dental Assistant
There are specific dental assistant skills you need to have to perform various dental practices and procedures. If you dont have these skills in your resume, you will not get the job because the ATS systems will filter out your resume.
Pro Tip
The job description is an excellent place to check for some of the skills the hiring manager requires and add them to your resume.
What are the main skills sought for a Dental Assistant?
The skills are divided into hard skills and soft skills and listed down using bullet points.
Hard skills
- Ensuring accuracy of patient charts
- Ability to assist the dentist with dental procedures
- Taking dental preliminary impressions
- Placing temporary crowns
Resume Layout And Design: Clean Lines And Legibility Rule
Hiring managers want to be able to scan your resume quickly and without eye strain, so keep it simple. You may be tempted to personalize your resume by making it a work of art. This is not the way to stand out. You want your hiring managers first visual impression of you to be neat and professional.
Choosing a layout from resume.io’s collection of field-tested resume templatescan be your best assurance of reader-friendly results.These templates are expertly designed, but you can customize them a bit. Or, personalize the resume example at the top of this guide. Just keep these guidelines in mind:
- Try the quadrant test to make sure the text is well-balanced. Split your resume into four quadrants, by dividing it horizontally and vertically. Text should be almost evenly spread among the quadrants. However, more important sections can be a bit larger, and the content can be slightly denser towards the top-left, which is the maximum attention zone.
- Choose fontswisely. Use boldface, type size, and fonts to draw recruiters’ eyes to the most important information.
- Use color sparingly. A splash of color is fine, but too much is distracting and looks unprofessional.
Dental Assistant Career Overview
Job Outlook
The job outlook for Dental Assistants is growing at 11% per year, which is considered to be growing much faster than average. In 2018 there were 346,000 jobs available.
Average Salary
Dental Assistants make $40,080 per year on average. However, salaries could be as high as $56,930 depending on the state in which you live and the company with whom you’re employed.
Top Paying Salaries by State
- $52,220 — Minnesota
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Boost Your Dental Assistant Resume With Quantifiable Points
Like in many careers, using specific data is a concrete way to show value. Generic, vague statements won’t do anything to help you get a job, so use details that strengthen your accomplishments. You want to show future employers exactly what you’ve done, what you’re capable of, and what they can expect of you if hired. But what does that look like on a resume?
Here are some ways a dental assistant can show the quantifiable impact:
- Explain a percentage increase in patient retention
- Convey increase in patient satisfaction
- Relay the number of patients seen per shift
- Detail the percentage of reduced cavities experienced with patient education provided
- Listing the total number of clients assisted in a procedure
Once you pinpoint a valuable action of interest to an employer, quantify the impact you made . Here are a few examples of strong job-specific quantified points that might be used as a bullet point on your dental assistant resume:
Dental Assistant Resume Examples Of 2022
Experts from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predict that the number of jobs for dental assistants will grow by 11%, which is much faster than average, between 2018 and 2028. This represents approximately 38,700 new jobs. The demand for dental assistants is increasing for many reasons, including the growing number of elderly citizens who need dental care. Many dentists are also offering new services, such as dental implants, creating more opportunities for skilled dental assistants.
Even though the number of job opportunities for dental assistants is growing, its still important to create a resume that helps you stand out from your competition. A strong resume helps you convince potential employers that you have what it takes to succeed in the role. Below youll find downloadable resume templates for dental assistants, as well as tips on writing a strong resume and tailoring your resume to each position.
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Dental Hygiene Assistant Resume
Why this resume works
- When you’re writing your dental hygiene assistant resume, you should make sure you’re focusing on what matters most .
- Many people try to emphasize education, but if you’re a few years out from your school days, it’s not relevant. Just include the basics and focus on your work experience.
Work Experience In The Dental Assistant Resume
The work experience section in your dental assistant resume allows you to show the hiring manager what you can do based on your previous work history.
Describe your professional experiences on your Dental Assistant resume.
Under this section, you start by listing the name of your previous workplace, job title, and the time spent at each workplace. Your work history should be relevant to the job you are applying for, but if you do not have relevant experience, you can talk about the transferable skills you earned at your previous workplaces.
Examples of professional experiences for Dental Assistant beginner/junior.
KENRI Dental clinicDental Assistant InternSeptember 2018-July 2019
- Prepared equipment necessary for various procedures, made chair adjustments, sterilized equipment to ensure patient safety, and prepared patients for treatment.
Ensured the dental office was clean and safe by sterilizing all tools, exam chairs, instrument trays, and all surfaces.
Received and made calls to patients to remind them of upcoming procedures.
Followed up on insurance claims with insurance companies.
Examples of work experience for Senior Dental Assistant
Absolute DentalJanuary 2018-January 2020
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In Summary What Makes A Dental Assistant Resume Great
Always remember that a carefully crafted resume is the best way to sell your dental assistant skills to a prospective employer.
Taking the time to customize a resume for the exact clinic where youd like to work takes extra time but its time that will pay off.
Show youve got the relevant skills, certifications, and a winning personality and youre sure to land the dental assistant job you want.
Senior Level Work Experience As A Dental Assistant
- Processed x rays and completed lab tasks
- Assisted customers with billing and payment plans
- Advised patients in proper oral hygiene
- Organized patient and dental records by alphabetical order
- Took x-rays of patientsâ teeth using Gendex Orthoralix and Aribex x-ray technologies
- Prepared materials for crowns and dental impressions
- Communicated with suppliers to order materials like toothbrushes and floss
- Ensured cabinets are stocked with dental materials
- Cleaned and maintained dental equipment
- Provided postoperative instructions to patients as directed by the dentist
- Maintained patient confidence and protected operations by keeping information confidential
- Assisted with dental and medical emergencies by maintaining CPR certification, emergency drug and oxygen supply, and emergency telephone directory
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Everything You Need To Write Your Dental Assistant Resume
Now that youâve seen an example of a job winning Dental Assistant resume, here are some tips to help you write your own. You should always begin with a summary section. Remember to use basic formatting with clear section headings and a traditional layout. Finally, be sure to include top skills throughout your resume. Weâve included several examples common for Dental Assistant below.
Letâs start with your resume summary section.
Your Dental Assistant Should Include:
- One or two concise sentences
- The quality of your work in various roles
- A clear idea of the job youre looking for
- Whether you have any relevant certifications
Pro Tip
Before you send your resume off, its extremely important to double check what kind of information youre allowed to have in your header. Some countries, states, and individual dental clinics have rules about including photos . Be sure to check these and ensure your dental assistant resume isnt going to get thrown out because it broke a rule.
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How To Become A Dental Assistant
Dental assistant jobs dont generally require applicants to have a college degree, which makes them even more attractive for people looking for a different path through life. However, formal training and education is usually still required for people who wish to become dental assistants. Read on to discover how to become a dental assistant!
How To Write A Dental Assistant Resume
Getting started writing your dental assistant resume should seem less daunting when you realize the process can be broken into the same steps that apply to all resumes. Your aim is to create a page containing these elements:
Before delving into each of these resume sections one at a time, lets look at some general considerations.
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The Top 3 Dental Assistant Certifications To Include On Your Resume
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, dental assistant positions are expected to grow by nearly 20% over the next decade. With more offers up for grabs than ever, youll need a super competitive resume. While dental assistants can learn on-the-job, one the following certifications will set you apart:
In addition to including these certifications under your educational information, the easiest way to showcase your expertise is by including it next to your name:
, CDA
If youve completed more than one certification course, write them this way:
, CDA, COA
This practice will quickly show any hiring professionals that youve got the necessary training.
Format Your Dental Assistant Resume Properly
For most job seekers, properly formatting a resume is a huge hurdle. Your resume should of course show important details like experience, education, and applicable skill sets, but resume formatting plays a huge role in how the ATS and the hiring manager read your resume.
Many job seekers get caught up in stylizing their resume instead of simply making minor changes to a resume template. You don’t have to go overboard to get your resume noticed, so keep your formatting simple.
Let’s look at the most vital aspects when formatting your resume for a dental assistant position:
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How To Write A Fantastic Dental Assistant Summary Section
Youll need to choose between including either a brief resume header or a summary section. We recommend summary sections if youre a dental assistant with a great deal of working experience or are if youre sending out tons of cold applications.
Detail your accomplishments, applicable training, and career ambitions, placing them at the very top or bottom of your resume under headers like Career Summary or More About Me.
You want to impress prospective employers quickly, so condense this section into 4 or 5 sentences. It can be tricky to find the perfect balance, but putting in the extra effort will definitely catch the right attention.
RIGHTWRONG
What makes the first example so much more effective?
It uses action oriented words and describes your administrative assistant experience in an energetic way.
The second example gives the feeling that youre listing things that you had to do and makes you sound like someone who just does their job.
The Secret To A Great Dental Assistant Resume Header And Objective
The basic information at the top of your resume are a critical place to make a first impression.
For dental assistants, this can mean listing certifications next to your name, and possibly including a short one sentence objective statement about who you are. These one or two sentences should encapsulate what youre searching for in your future job.
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Describe Your Work Ethic
Create a list of adjectives and phrases that capture your work ethic. Although you ultimately settle on one or two descriptors to use in your resume objective, thinking of a few extra gives you the opportunity to represent yourself ideally. You can also ask former employers or coworkers what they might highlight about your professional presence to understand what others appreciate about your work habits. Here are several terms that describe exceptional dental assistants:
-
Patient service-oriented
-
Sanitation and patient safety
How To Write An Entry Level Dental Assistant Resume
The Indeed Editorial Team comprises a diverse and talented team of writers, researchers and subject matter experts equipped with Indeed’s data and insights to deliver useful tips to help guide your career journey.
Resumes are a way of telling a potential employer you can do a particular job well. For dental assistants, this means including your most relevant skills, experience and education that fit the job description. Understanding what skills a dental assistant needs and what else to include can help you write an effective resume when sending applications. In this article, we discuss how to write a dental assistant resume to help prepare you for this part of your career journey.
Related:How To Become a Dental Assistant
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How To Describe Your Experience On Your Dental Assistant Resume
This is where you can really start bragging. Alison Green, author of Ask a Manager, highlights the single biggest resume mistake she saw in her time as a hiring manager: Writing a resume that reads like a series of job descriptions.
The bullet points they use to describe what they did for each job just list activities and read like a job description for the role might, she says. For example, edit documents, collect data, or manage website.
While writing the experience section of your dental assistant resume, focus on what you accomplished at each position.
Level I Dental Assistant, KidzSmilez Dentistry | 2018-2020
- Set-up and executed upwards of 20 dental x-rays per shift
- Gathered, organized, and prepared dental instruments for 40-50 dental procedures per day
A hiring manager will be looking for the facts. What did you do at your previous jobs that made you stand out? For which projects did you receive the most praise? Providing tangible facts shows hiring managers that you have the potential to do the same at your next job.
Oral Surgery Dental Assistant Resume
Use this template
Why this resume works
- Dentistry has loads of specialties , so don’t be afraid to lean into your specialty!
- If you’re applying to a dental assisting job in oral surgery and you have experience in that field, then create a separate copy of your resume focusing on those aspects of your past work.
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Sample Dental Assistant Resume
Average Rating for this template
5
We understand that writing a resume is not always an easy task, but with a great resume template or resume builder, you can write a dental assistant resume that gets you your dream job. Check out our resume templates.
Lets also look at some of the great tips that will help you write a good resume that stands out.
Matching Your Dental Assistant Skills On Your Resume To The Job Opening
Before creating your dental assistant resume, a great rule of thumb includes writing down your hard and soft skills in a dedicated skills section of your resume.
These can include anything from providing great patient care to mastering specific computer program training. Remember: Planning is the best way to get ahead of your competition.
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The Structure Of The Dental Assistant Resume
There are two other resume formats you will see on various dental assistant resume samples. One of them is the functional format, and the other one is the combination resume format.
If you dont have much experience, you can use the functional format, which focuses on your skills, but the reverse-chronological format is the best if you want to focus on your experience. The combination resume blends the best features of the two formats and is perfect if you have some experience.
The typical structure of a dental assistant resume should have the following sections.
Date of birth 18/09/1989linkedin.com/in/mary-jones
Is a photo required in the Dental Assistant resume?
It is advisable to leave the photo out of your dental assistant resume. This is because some recruiters toss out resumes that have photos. However, if the potential employer does not mind a resume with a photo, ensure that you have a professionally done photo.
Choosing your Dental Assistant resume title
It is essential to tailor the job title of every application because it is different for every job and company.