Average salary
National Statistic
Change Location
$20,000 - $50,000
REGISTERED DENTAL ASSISTANT: I'm Basically The Dentist's Right Hand Man
About this video
Danielle shares her story about being a registered dental assistant.
She goes into detail about the different types of duties she performs in this position, and she describes the education she received to get her certification. Danielle says she got her current position through Craigslist.
Degree: Dental Support Services and Allied Professions
Job Title: Registered Dental Assistant
Job Summary: Dental Assistants
Job Description
Dental assistants have many tasks, ranging from patient care to record keeping, in a dental office. Their duties vary by state and by the dentists' offices where they work.
On-the-Job Training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Certification Requirement
Recommended by the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB).Quick Facts
Projected Job Growth
25 to 35 percent
Typical schedule
Full-time
Typical workplace
Office, Indoor, Hospital / Clinic
Personal Qualities
Detail oriented, People skills, Organizational skills, Likes working with handsEducational Path
Education Requirement
High school degree
Recommended Education Degree
High school degreeAssociate degree
Recommended Majors
Dental AssistantBiology
Chemistry
Dentistry
Business Administration and Management
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P3.instances[0].transcript.parse_transcript_data({"transcript":"<p><span m='340'>I'm a</span> <span m='410'>registered</span> <span m='930'>dental</span> <span m='1300'>assistant.</span> <span m='2200'>A</span> <span m='2440'>typical</span> <span m='2740'>day for a</span> <span m='3050'>registered</span> <span m='3520'>dental</span> <span m='3820'>assistant--</span> <span m='4690'>we</span> <span m='4860'>usually</span> <span m='5230'>are</span> <span m='5310'>taking</span> <span m='5670'>x-rays.</span> <span m='6155'>We're</span> <span m='6640'>assisting</span> <span m='7270'>the</span> <span m='8060'>dentist.</span> <span m='8960'>So</span> <span m='9240'>where's</span> <span m='9960'>suctioning,</span> <span m='10925'>x-rays--</span> <span m='12380'>what else?</span> <span m='13490'>We</span> <span m='14620'>make</span> <span m='14840'>temporary</span> <span m='15460'>crowns.</span> <span m='16800'>We</span> <span m='17040'>do</span> <span m='17220'>temporary</span> <span m='17790'>fillings.</span> </p><p><span m='19360'>I</span> <span m='19630'>can</span> <span m='19900'>polish</span> <span m='20175'>your</span> <span m='20450'>teeth.</span> <span m='23040'>I</span> <span m='23180'>can</span> <span m='23360'>place</span> <span m='23540'>sealants</span> <span m='23990'>on</span> <span m='24350'>your</span> <span m='24510'>teeth.</span> <span m='27720'>I</span> <span m='28010'>don't</span> <span m='28220'>know what</span> <span m='28450'>else</span> <span m='28700'>I do.</span> <span m='29406'>Oh,</span> <span m='29583'>I</span> <span m='29760'>sterilize</span> <span m='30470'>all</span> <span m='30620'>of</span> <span m='30740'>our</span> <span m='30930'>equipment.</span> <span m='31400'>I</span> <span m='31470'>take</span> <span m='31780'>care</span> <span m='32030'>of</span> <span m='32140'>all</span> <span m='32280'>of our</span> <span m='32430'>equipment.</span> <span m='32990'>I</span> <span m='33160'>order</span> <span m='33550'>supplies.</span> <span m='34820'>And</span> <span m='34960'>I'm</span> <span m='35050'>basically</span> <span m='35700'>dentist's</span> <span m='36230'>right</span> <span m='36480'>hand</span> <span m='36710'>man.</span> </p><p><span m='37750'>I</span> <span m='37930'>went</span> <span m='38260'>to</span> <span m='38420'>a</span> <span m='38550'>community</span> <span m='39080'>college</span> <span m='39860'>and</span> <span m='40050'>decided</span> <span m='40530'>that I</span> <span m='40810'>wanted</span> <span m='41160'>to</span> <span m='41550'>work</span> <span m='41750'>with</span> <span m='41890'>people</span> <span m='42330'>and</span> <span m='42770'>in</span> <span m='43200'>the</span> <span m='43270'>health</span> <span m='43550'>care</span> <span m='43680'>industry.</span> <span m='44500'>So</span> <span m='44930'>I</span> <span m='45080'>went</span> <span m='45330'>to</span> <span m='45840'>a</span> <span m='45930'>local</span> <span m='46370'>community</span> <span m='46760'>college</span> <span m='47170'>that</span> <span m='47850'>has</span> <span m='48070'>a</span> <span m='48190'>dental</span> <span m='48490'>assisting</span> <span m='48930'>program.</span> <span m='49990'>You</span> <span m='50100'>graduate</span> <span m='50630'>from</span> <span m='50780'>that,</span> <span m='51110'>and you</span> <span m='51240'>do</span> <span m='51480'>an</span> <span m='51910'>externship</span> <span m='52600'>with</span> <span m='52760'>a</span> <span m='52860'>dental</span> <span m='53160'>office.</span> <span m='53840'>And</span> <span m='54430'>a</span> <span m='54860'>registered</span> <span m='55260'>dental</span> <span m='55970'>assistant,</span> <span m='56380'>you take a</span> <span m='56790'>board</span> <span m='57000'>exam,</span> <span m='57800'>and</span> <span m='58420'>that's</span> <span m='58883'>it.</span> </p><p><span m='59809'>And</span> <span m='60272'>how</span> <span m='60735'>did you get</span> <span m='61198'>this</span> <span m='61661'>job in</span> <span m='62124'>particular?</span> </p><p><span m='62587'>On</span> <span m='63050'>Craigslist--</span> <span m='65150'>it's</span> <span m='65390'>a</span> <span m='66460'>big</span> <span m='66730'>networking,</span> <span m='69490'>and</span> <span m='70050'>you</span> <span m='70160'>go</span> <span m='70290'>online</span> <span m='70890'>and</span> <span m='71080'>find</span> <span m='71400'>someone,</span> <span m='71765'>and</span> <span m='72130'>then</span> <span m='72596'>master your</span> <span m='73062'>interview.</span> <span m='73530'>What</span> <span m='73740'>I</span> <span m='73820'>like</span> <span m='74050'>most</span> <span m='74530'>about</span> <span m='74710'>my</span> <span m='74830'>job</span> <span m='75210'>is,</span> <span m='75470'>you</span> <span m='75730'>go in</span> <span m='75980'>for a</span> <span m='76170'>cleaning</span> <span m='76510'>once</span> <span m='76700'>every</span> <span m='76900'>six</span> <span m='77180'>months.</span> <span m='77520'>So I</span> <span m='77610'>get</span> <span m='77860'>to</span> <span m='77980'>see</span> <span m='78280'>patients</span> <span m='78730'>once</span> <span m='78920'>every</span> <span m='79090'>six</span> <span m='79300'>months.</span> <span m='79510'>And</span> <span m='79640'>usually,</span> <span m='80000'>there's</span> <span m='80240'>something</span> <span m='80700'>that's</span> <span m='80980'>happened in</span> <span m='81260'>their</span> <span m='81430'>life.</span> <span m='82170'>And</span> <span m='82630'>so</span> <span m='82750'>it's</span> <span m='82900'>nice</span> <span m='83180'>to</span> <span m='83490'>talk</span> <span m='83760'>to</span> <span m='83850'>them,</span> <span m='84280'>see</span> <span m='84410'>what's</span> <span m='84680'>new.</span> </p><p><span m='84990'>And</span> <span m='85300'>you</span> <span m='85390'>also</span> <span m='85520'>get</span> <span m='85650'>to</span> <span m='85780'>see</span> <span m='86100'>children</span> <span m='86505'>grow</span> <span m='86910'>up,</span> <span m='87310'>and</span> <span m='87750'>also</span> <span m='88260'>adults</span> <span m='88580'>grow</span> <span m='88850'>up.</span> <span m='89030'>They</span> <span m='89500'>get</span> <span m='89730'>married,</span> <span m='90350'>and</span> <span m='90450'>then</span> <span m='90550'>they</span> <span m='90640'>have</span> <span m='90790'>children.</span> <span m='91270'>And</span> <span m='91520'>you</span> <span m='91770'>get to witness</span> <span m='91970'>all</span> <span m='92170'>of that,</span> <span m='92430'>and it's</span> <span m='92650'>really</span> <span m='92860'>great.</span> <span m='93480'>What's</span> <span m='93730'>most</span> <span m='94090'>challenging</span> <span m='94762'>is</span> <span m='95100'>time</span> <span m='95390'>management.</span> <span m='96730'>You</span> <span m='96860'>just</span> <span m='97140'>have</span> <span m='97290'>to</span> <span m='97400'>be</span> <span m='97760'>good</span> <span m='98050'>with</span> <span m='98390'>time</span> <span m='98730'>and</span> <span m='98870'>organize.</span> </p>","file":{"id":276810,"video_id":"2698881009001","name":"72577562","duration":100245,"thumbnail_url":null}});
