The U.S Bureau of Statistics predicts that the employment of dental assistants will grow 7% from 2019-2029, faster than the average of all other occupations.Dental assistants perform various tasks ranging from scheduling appointments, updating patient records, taking x-rays, and preparing patients for dental procedures. A dental assistant job is a great way to get started in the healthcare industry, which is constantly growing. However, you need a great dental assistant resume to set you apart from the pool of other job seekers.
Majorie Lauredo Dental Assistant 647-446-4068 majorielauredo@gmail.com Dorcot Avenue, Toronto
Certified Dental Assistant with experience in sterilization procedures, answering phones, and providing information to patients. Proven ability to support dental staff and provide excellent customer service to clients increasing the customer service ratings by 20%.
Work experience
Dental Assistant HBC Dental clinic February 2019-Date
Gave patients postoperative instructions to promote healing and protect the dental work they received.
Sterilized instruments and equipment after every consultation to protect patients from bacteria and viruses.
Interviewed patients to obtain medical information, dental histories, and vital signs.
Dental Hygienist Jen C Dental Care June 2016-January 2019
Scheduled appointments depending on the provider who was available by maintaining a master calendar.
Produced traditional and digital dental x-rays of patients for dentists to identify decay, cavities, and other issues.
Arranged for the restocking of dental supplies.
Education
Bachelor of Science University of Alabama School of Dentistry, Alabama 2012-2016
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.
Let's also look at some of the great tips that will help you write a good resume that stands out.
According to the U.S Bureau of Statistics, the industries with the highest employment levels for dental assistants are offices of dentists, offices of physicians, outpatient care centers, the Federal Executive Branch(OES Designation), and employment services.
The Average salaries for dental assistants, including bonus, tips, and overtime pay, are as follows:
Entry-level $13.86 per hour
Early-career $15.18 per hour
Mid-career $17.57 per hour
Late-career $19.10 per hour
Experienced $20.35 per hour
The average yearly salary for a dental assistant is $36,660 ( U.S Bureau of Labor & Statistics).
How to Make a Dental Assistant Resume
A good resume needs to showcase your skills and experience in a way that allows you to stand out. In a world where the job market is very competitive, you cannot afford to send a generic resume to every hiring manager. It is essential to personalize your resume to make sure it brings out your personality and expertise. Some of the ways you can personalize your dental assistant resume include:
Tailoring your resume to each job you apply for because hiring managers have different qualification requirements.
Checking the job description to add the skills and keywords that need to be in your dental assistant resume.
The layout of the Dental Assistant resume
The ideal layout for your dental assistant resume is the reverse-chronological resume format. Most hiring managers love this format because it is easy to scan on applicant tracking systems and showcases your work experience perfectly.
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 don't 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.
Start with the header of the Dental Assistant resume.
The header section should have your full name, title, contact information, and a link to your LinkedIn profile or personal portfolio.
Example of a good header
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Mary Jones
Dental Hygienist
456-321-547
maryjones@gmail.com
9578, Spring valley
California.
linkedin.com/in/mary-jones
Example of a bad header
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Mary Jones
Dental Hygienist
456-321-547
maryjones@gmail.com
9578, Spring valley
California.
Reka road
Hse no 43
Date of birth 18/09/1989
linkedin.com/in/mary-jones
Your header section should not have too much personal information. The home address and your location are also optional unless you are applying for a job abroad.
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.
Professional summary/profile
The resume summary is important because it introduces your resume and summarizes your professional achievements, experience, and skills. It should be well-written and compel the hiring manager to read the rest of your dental assistant resume.
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Registered dental assistant with eight years of experience working in a fast-paced dental office. Proficient in providing dental examinations and teaching patients how to use orthodontic appliances. Proven ability to provide effective oral hygiene education to patients. Excels in documenting patient information, preparing materials for oral surgery, and processing x rays.
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Professional dental hygienist driven to achieve the best results for customers. Looking for an opportunity as a dental assistant.
A resume objective is perfect if you recently graduated and do not have much experience. It allows you to express your passion for the job, speak about your career goals and the value you will bring to the company.
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 clinic
Dental Assistant Intern
September 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 Dental
Senior Dental Hygienist
January 2018-January 2020
Before procedures, ensured dental instruments were laid out properly and dental equipment was on-hand.
Provided assistance to the dental surgeon while completing surgical procedures, including minimally invasive and advanced operations.
Tasked with instructing patients on plaque control programs after seeking our dental services and treatment plans to ensure their overall oral hygiene.
Required to take and record patient medical personal data and record treatment information in the correct patient records.
Education in the Dental Assistant Resume
A great dental assistant resume should always have this section, as most dental assistant jobs have specific educational qualifications. This is where you list your education, whether it's a college degree or a high school diploma.
Should you start with education or work experience?
Some dental assistant resume examples will start with education and others with experience. It depends on the resume format you choose to use. If you choose the reverse-chronological format that focuses on experience, you'll start with experience, but you start with the skills and education if you use the functional resume format. You can check out our resume examples.
How to properly list your education in a Dental Assistant resume?
Your education section should start with your most recent qualification. You start by listing the school name and location, degree earned, and program length.
Example of the Education section of a Dental Assistant resume
Premier Dental School, Chicago
Bachelor of Science in Dentistry
2013-2016
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 don't 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
Patient Care
Sterilize instruments
Ensuring accuracy of patient charts
Prepare bills
Eaglesoft dental software
Ability to instruct patients
Ability to assist the dentist with dental procedures
Taking dental preliminary impressions
Soft skills
Interpersonal skills
Communication
Attention to detail
Teamwork
Critical thinking
Organizational skills
Multitasking
Flexibility
What skills for a junior Dental Assistant
Filing and record-keeping
Processing payments
Excellent customer service
Patient care
Basic computer skills
Answering phones
Listening
Empathy
What skills for a senior Dental Assistant
Developing and mounting dental radiographs
Preparing dental equipment
Sterilizing instruments
Interviewing patients
CPR
Protocol compliance
Reliability
Placing temporary crowns
Write the Ideal Resume Hook for a Dental Assistant worker.
A resume hook is a great way to make your resume stand out, especially because the job market can be very competitive. You can write it as a quote, personal description, achievement, or testimonial.
Example of a tagline for a junior employee
"I'm a dental assistant because dentists need heroes too."
Sample tagline for a senior level
"I'm the reason someone smiles today."
Additional headings for your resume Dental Assistant
The additional section on your dental assistant resume helps set you apart from every other job seeker. If you are not sure about what to include in this section, you can go through a dental assistant resume example that will give you an idea of how to add this section to your resume.
Let's look at some of these sections in detail.
Computer skills and certifications
Some candidates add their certifications under the education section, but this is not advisable because the hiring manager may not see them. It is better to create a separate section for your certificates as they help set you apart and can help you land the job. Examples of certificates that you can add under this section include:
National Entry Level Dental Assistant (NELDA)
Certified Dental Assistant (CDA)
Certified Orthodontic Assistant (COA)
Interests
The interests on your dental assistant resume should fit the profile of the job. If not, it's better to leave them out of your resume. Interests that involve doing yoga or any other fitness activity or volunteering at a home shelter would look great on your resume.
Languages
You've probably seen a dental assistant resume sample that has the languages in the skills section. However, it is better to add your languages in a separate languages section, and use the official language reference to ensure the hiring manager can see them. A good example is IELTS and TOEFL for English (score of 30 points and above) and Goethe Zertifikat for German (score of 60 and above).
Summary: key points for writing a perfect Dental Assistant resume
Here is a breakdown of the key takeaways from this article.
Always use the right resume format for your dental assistant resume.
Use the keywords and action verbs required for a dental assistant resume to increase your chances of landing an interview.
Proofread your resume to ensure it does not have any typos and other errors.
Your dental assistant resume should have all the required sections, including the header, summary/objective, work experience, education, and skills.
Write a cover letter that goes with your Dental Assistant resume
Cover letters are not always a requirement, but you should always accompany your resume with one if you want your application to stand out. A cover letter allows you to describe achievements as well as express your passion for the job.
Frequently Asked Questions for Dental Assistant
What should a dental assistant put on their resume?
A dental assistant should ensure their resume has a header, resume summary/objective, work experience, education, and skills.
What are some dental assistant skills?
Some of the skills you need as a dental assistant include patient communication, customer service, interpersonal skills, x-ray skills, sterilizing equipment, and dental procedure preparation.
What are the 10 duties of a dental assistant?
Record patient information
Sterilize dental instruments
Prepare patients for dental procedures
Interview patients about their dental histories
Answer phone calls
Assist dentist during procedures
Provide patient care
Order dental supplies
Schedule patient appointments
Process payments
What does a dental assistant do on a daily basis?
A dental assistant ensures that the dental clinic is clean and the dental equipment is sterilized and ready for procedures, sets up instrument trays, and assists the dentist during various procedures.
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