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To treat patients, dental assistants collaborate closely with dental hygienists and dentists. 

Dental assistants take X-rays, handle office management activities, educate patients on proper oral care and hygiene, and assist dentists during examinations and operations. 

What skills are essential for a dental assistant to have? 

What skills do you want to demonstrate that you have to offer as a dental assistant throughout your resume? 

We'll be covering these questions and more in this article. 

We'll also discuss some of the essential skills dental assistants use to fulfill their duties and contribute to a productive dental office through checklists. 

Let's get started. . .

What Skills Does a Dental Assistant Need?

The six skills for dental assistants with checklists are: 

1. Routine Procedures Checklist
2. Radiology Checklist
3. Panorex Checklist
4. Sterilization Checklist
5. Operatory, Disinfection, Maintenance Checklist
6. Record Maintenance Checklist

Next, let's get into each skill checklist for dental assistants. . .  

Routine Procedures Checklist

There are many dental assistant procedures. Here are few checklists:

1. Operatory setup: As a dental assistant, can you prepare the operatory for routine dental procedures as needed for a dentist? 
2. Amalgam set up: As a dental assistant, are you able to correctly set up for amalgam procedures? 
3. Composite set up: As a dental assistant, are you able to correctly set up for composite procedures? 
4. RCT set up: As a dental assistant, are you able to correctly set up for RCT procedures?
5. Crown/Bridge set up: As a dental assistant, are you able to correctly set up for crown/bridge procedures? 
6. Oral Surgery set up: As a dental assistant, can you correctly set up a routine and complex oral surgery procedures? 
7. Observation: As a dental assistant, can you anticipate the dentist's needs during a procedure? 

Radiology Checklist

1. Training: As a dental assistant do you meet the following three requirements: DA has completed x-ray training, passed an exam, and is 18 years or older? 
2. Radiation exposure: As a dental assistant, do you use safe radiation exposure practices? 
3. Lead Apron: As a dental assistant, do you use a lead apron appropriately? 
4. Personal Safety: As a dental assistant, do you consistently wear a personal safety radiation badge? 
5. Exposure setting: As a dental assistant, do you always use the correct exposure setting for each patient based on their size?  
6. Pregnancy and radiation: As a dental assistant, do you understand and utilize pregnancy radiation protocols and procedures? 
7. Kodak Mounts: As a dental assistant, do you consistently choose the needed Kodak mount for the radiographic exam being completed? 
8. X-ray orientation: As a dental assistant, do you consistently and accurately fill Kodak mounts with Xrays in the correct orientation? 
9. X-ray Labeling: As a dental assistant, do you consistently and accurately label x-rays with correct tooth numbers in Kodak?
10. FMX Series: As a dental assistant, you can complete an FMX series in 30 minutes or less, including a Panorex? 
11. Diagnostic Quality: As a dental assistant, can you consistently achieve good diagnostic quality with an accuracy of 90% on digital x-ray? 

Panorex Checklist

1. Ranorex Opening and Closing: As a dental assistant, can you consistently and accurately follow opening and closing procedures for both the Panorex and its software? 
2. Ranorex Patient Positioning: As a dental assistant, are you able to consistently and correctly position the patient in Panorex?  
3. Ranorex Infection Control: As a dental assistant, do you consistently and precisely use correct infection control techniques between patients? 

Panoeex Software Settings: As a dental assistant, do you consistently and correctly apply software settings according to each patient's body type and produce a diagnostic quality Panorex film? 

Sterilization Checklist

1. Sterilization and Handling: As a dental assistant, are you accurately and consistently able to demonstrate the correct procedures required to handle both nonsterile and sterilized instruments? 
2. Sterilization and Debris: As a dental assistant, can you consistently remove blood and debris from instruments before bagging or wrapping? 
3. Sterilization and Personal Protective Equipment: As a dental assistant, are you consistently demonstrating the correct use of personal protective equipment? 
4. Sterilization and Cross-contamination Potential: As a dental assistant, are you aware of cross-contamination potential when performing your duties daily? 
5. Sterilization and Instruments: As a dental assistant, can you recognize non-sterile vs. sterilized instruments? 

      Operatory, Disinfection, Maintenance Checklist

1. Operative Opening Procedures: As a dental assistant, can you consistently demonstrate correct operatory opening procedures? 
2. Operative Closing Procedures: As a dental assistant, can you consistently demonstrate correct operatory closing procedures? 
3. Operative Disinfective Procedures: As a dental assistant, can you consistently and correctly disinfect the operatory between each dental patient?

      Record Maintenance Checklist 

1. HIPPA Regulations: As a dental assistant, do you consistently observe and demonstrate an understanding of HIPAA regulations?
2. Updating Records: As a dental assistant, can you update the following for each dental patient's medications, medical history, allergies, surgical history, hospitalization history, social hstory, and vitals? 

    More Information

5 Dental Assistant Resume Skills List

Soft Skills You Need As A Dental Assistant

Dental Assistant Job Description

Dental Assistant Working Interview

How To Become The Best Dental Assistant You Can

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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