If you’re a dental assistant and you’re looking to move up, maybe you’ve thought about becoming a lead. But is being a lead dental assistant right for you? 

Let’s find out more about the job and what you’ll be doing, and then you’ll know if it’s right for you.

Job Description

First and foremost, a lead dental assistant performs all the essential functions of a DA. 

In addition, a lead dental assistant is responsible for maintaining the appropriate training and certifications of the staff, assuring proper protocols are followed to maintain the safety of the staff and patients, scheduling dental staff, and cleaning and stocking the office.

A lead dental assistant serves as the other assistants' supervisor, helping coordinate their work, handling administrative tasks such as schedules, and ensuring that the team works together efficiently. 

They are also responsible for assigning duties and training or mentoring new employees. 

In addition, they may take on additional tasks, such as helping with complex procedures and working directly with the dentist to provide patient care. 

Lead dental assistants must be able to work well in a team environment and stay organized to fulfill all of their duties effectively. They do not necessarily perform more clinical tasks than regular dental assistants, but they are more involved in managing the day-to-day operations of a dental office. 

Now that you have an overview let’s take a deeper look at the duties and responsibilities of a lead DA.

Experience

A lead dental assistant is more experienced than a normal dental assistant. Most jobs require a minimum of 2 years of experience as a dental assistant to become a lead.

License and Certification

As a lead, expect to be licensed as a DA if your state requires it. In addition, you’ll likely need to be a registered dental assistant (RDA) with certifications that other DA positions may see as optional, but for you, they’re required. For example, you’ll want to have X-Ray Certification and a Coronal Polish Certificate if you work in Arizona.

Duties and Responsibilities

You may know what a dental assistant does or read our skills checklist. But what does a lead dental assistant do?

Training

Next, a lead is usually responsible for training other DAs on staff. That means you really need to know your stuff. For example, if you know how to take high-quality diagnostic images, you also need to know how to explain to other DAs how and what you’re doing so they can get as good quality images as you can. 

Certifications

Certifications vary by state, but most states have additional licensing requirements for various levels and certifications for dental assistants. For example, in Arizona, the AZDHS has radiography, coronal polishing, and Expanded Function Dental Assisting (EFDA) requirements. In California, Pit and Fissure Sealant Certification is common.

As the lead, you’ll be responsible for maintaining these certifications for both you and your team. As a lead, you’ll be expected to stay informed of changes in regulations, procedures, technologies, and equipment. Attending seminars or taking part in continuing education activities to stay current is also something you’ll be engaging in.

Job Saftey

Job safety is an important part of being a lead DA as well. As the lead, it will likely be your responsibility to ensure that safety practices are followed by you and your dental team. This includes taking responsibility for monitoring occupational exposure to X-ray radiation through dosimetry. Washing and sterilization of instruments 

Scheduling

Preparing staff schedules is another responsibility that often falls to a lead. In addition to ensuring you have shifts covered, you’ll also need to plan for what happens when someone calls in sick or doesn’t show up. In those cases, Princess Dental Staffing’s got ya covered with our temp dental staffing platform. When you’re a lead who needs to get a temp DA, it’s just a three-step process to post a job and have it filled through our platform.

Clean and Stock

Ensuring everyone in the office has the supplies they need is another thing leads do. You’ll clean and stock or delegate those duties to other staff members, then make sure it was done properly. Some of this is thinking ahead, as you’ll need to order supplies before you run out of them and make sure they’ll be delivered on time.

Cleaning and disinfecting operatories, cleaning equipment, and instruments, and preparing for sterilization are some of the most important aspects of this duty. But you’re not just responsible for you; you’re responsible for everyone. So keep that in mind if being a lead is something you’re considering.

Communication

As a lead DA, you’ll need to be able to communicate with a wide range of people. This includes other DAs, as well as the front office staff, office manager, dentists, and patients. You’ll often serve as a go-between for communication between staff members in different office areas and may be called upon to resolve conflicts between staff.

Answering the phones and speaking with patients also falls within your range of duties. Scheduling appointments or answering patient questions is something you should be prepared for. Handling patient complaints may also be something you’re tasked with as a lead. Knowing how to handle customers who are upset and communicating with empathy and understanding is something you’ll need to know how to do.

Be Reliable

Overall, a lead DA is someone the dentist knows they can rely on to ensure their office runs smoothly and efficiently. Not only does the lead always show up, but they’re also making sure others show up, and everything is being taken care of.

If you’re reliable, becoming a lead may be right for you!

Lastly, let’s talk salary…

Salary

Because of their additional responsibilities, lead dental assistants tend to receive higher compensation than regular dental assistants. We’ve compiled a list of DA salaries. This is a good starting point to understand what a DA is worth in your area. Expect a lead DA salary to be 10-50% higher than a DA's. For example, when writing this, California DAs made $21.61 per hour, while some lead DA jobs posted in Los Angeles paid up to $32 per hour.

As an important staff member, consider the benefits offered with the lead position. These may include medical, dental, and vision insurance, retirement, disability insurance, life insurance, and supplemental insurance.

Jobs

Look for a dental assistant job using our job board. 

Additional Resources

Responsibilities to include on a dental assistant resume.

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