Dental assistants play a vital role in the success of any dental clinic, but we probably don’t need to tell you that…

From ensuring smooth patient care to managing administrative tasks, the dental assistant helps your office run its day-to-day operations. 

So when I tell you that recruiting dental assistants with the right skills and passion for dentistry is crucial to ensuring the smooth operation of your practice, I know we’re both on the same page about just how important hiring the right dental assistant is.

As a staffing agency specializing in dental offices, we understand the challenges you face when it comes to hiring the right candidate. That’s why we’ve created this guide to help you streamline the process and find the perfect fit for your team. I’m going to share practical tips to help you find and hire dental assistants.

Understanding the Role of a Dental Assistant

Of course, there’s some basic knowledge every dental assistant should know. But depending on an office’s needs, there may be some reasons to consider hiring a dental assistant with no experience.

A dental assistant: 

1. Supports dentists during procedures;
2. Helps patients feel comfortable;
3. Manages office schedules;
4. Ensures the office complies with health and safety regulations. 

Because of these diverse responsibilities, hiring the right person means finding someone who not only has the technical skills but also aligns with your office culture and values.

Know What Assistants Want

Threads on Reddit have lots of people talking about how to hire a dental assistant. Many responses on these threads suggest there are a few things that are important to every assistant. 

These include:

1. A competitive salary for the area
2. Time to eat lunch
3. Dentists who treat their assistants as equals and don’t talk down to them
4. Friendly coworkers 
5. Insurance

One user shares, “If your office isn’t getting any applicants it’s not offering enough [money] to seem like it’s actually worth the time.”

Step-by-Step Guide to Hiring a Dental Assistant

Let’s lay out the hiring process in 7 steps: 

Step 1: Define Your Needs

Before you start looking for a dental assistant, take time to assess your specific needs. 

Do you need:

• Full-time
• Part-time
• Temporary 

What certifications are essential? These might include:

• CPR training
• X-ray certification
• EFDA
• RDAEF
• EDDA

Clearly defining your needs will save time and help you focus on the right candidates.

Step 2: Use a Job Title That Attracts Candidates

The job title you use will be the first thing candidates interact with. So it’s very important to write one that attracts candidates.

This is so important, we wrote an entire blog post about it. 

TL;DR: Keep your job title short, use keywords, and get creative!

Step 3: Write a Clear Job Description

A well-written job post is the next step to attracting qualified candidates. 

Include the following:

• Pay
• Culture
• Benefits
• Schedule
• Skills
• Qualifications
• Experience

Take a look at our job description for dental assistants to learn more. Need some examples? Here are 11.

Step 4: Advertise Your Job

Post your job with Princess Dental Staffing to advertise it to thousands of candidates already signed up on our site.

There are three benefits to posting your job with us.

First, we use structured data, called schema, to assure that Google Jobs sees your job, and picks it up. In fact, employers often see their jobs at the top of Google results because of this. This exposes your job to lots of people who are actively searching for jobs on Google Jobs.

Second, we use Open Graph Protocol. This improved the visibility of your job on social media sites.

Lastly, we have agreements with other 3rd party job sites, such as Indeed, Monster, and CareerBuilder. No need to spend the time and expense of posting your job on these sites, because when you post your job with us, candidates using those sites will see your Princess Dental Staffing job post on those other sites as well.

When you sign up for an All-Access plan on Princess Dental Staffing, you'll have resume access to our pre-screened candidates, saving you time and effort.

Step 5: Screen Applicants

Review resumes carefully, focusing on relevant experience, certifications, and employment history. 

This is usually a lot more work when you use a general job site. With Princess Dental Staffing, A we save you time by pre-screening candidates.

Step 6: Conduct Interviews

The interview is your chance to assess both technical skills and cultural fit. We did a video for office managers about how to create interview questions that help you hire top talent.

There are four main types of questions:

1. Behavioral
2. Situational
3. Technical
4. Cultural Fit

Sample questions include:

• How do you handle difficult patients?
• Can you describe your experience assisting with dental procedures?
• What steps do you take to maintain a clean and organized workspace? 

See More: dental job interview questions

You might also consider doing a working interview.

Step 7: Offer a Competitive Package

Making an offer is so important, it’s another thing we’ve written an entire guide about. 

When dental assistants are in high demand in your area, it’s a must to offer a competitive salary to attract top talent. If you don’t, the small number of candidates available will simply accept the highest paying jobs, leaving you with no one to work.

In some areas where dental assistants are truly scarce, employers will need to consider adding additional perks, such as insurance, professional development stipends, and bonsues, which can make your job offer even more appealing to assistants.

The Benefits of Partnering with Us

Working with a dental staffing agency like Princess Dental Staffing can take the stress out of the hiring process. Here’s how:

• Save Time: Access a pool of pre-screened candidates who meet your qualifications.
• Save Money: We don’t charge the fees many other services charge.
• Make Unlimited Requests: Many services charge per request. With Princess Dental Staffing, you can post as many permanent and temporary jobs as you want for the same monthly subscription cost.
• No Contracts: When you’re done hiring, simply cancel your subscription. We’ll be here for you when you’re ready to hire again.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

When hiring a dental assistant, avoid these common pitfalls:

• Pay Too Low: If you’re not getting candidates, check other job posts for other offices in your area to make sure you’re offering competitive pay.
• Not Posting a Job: Taking the time to actually post your position exposes your job to a lot more candidates.
• Overlooking Soft Skills: While technical expertise is important, communication and teamwork are just as critical. So don’t overlook those soft skills.

Why Choose Princess Dental Staffing?

Princess Dental Staffing specializes in connecting dental offices with skilled and reliable dental assistants. 

Our website handles the heavy lifting so you can focus on running your practice. Don’t just take our word for it—our satisfied clients regularly share their success stories of finding the perfect match for their team.

Ready to find your next dental assistant? Contact us today and let us help you build the team your practice deserves.

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