Dental Assistant Skills for a Resume

Dentists hire assistants who keep the chair moving and patients calm while following every infection control rule. Show the procedures you assist with, the duties your state allows you to perform and the software you use.

Updated

13 skills at a glance

Hard skills

What the work takes, how a hiring manager judges each skill, and a bullet point that shows it.

  1. Four-handed chairside assisting

    Name the procedures you assist with. General, pediatric and specialty practices differ a lot.

    Example bullet pointAssisted an oral surgeon with extractions and implant placements, handling suction and instruments so the procedure never paused.

  2. Dental radiography

    List the kinds of images you take and any certificate. Your state may require one.

    Example bullet pointCaptured full-mouth series and panoramic images on a digital system for every new-patient exam.

  3. Impressions and intraoral scanning

    Mention the scanner if you use one, such as iTero or CEREC.

    Example bullet pointTook iTero scans for clear aligner cases, reducing remakes caused by poor impressions.

  4. Instrument sterilization

    Show the routine and the records. Inspections check both.

    Example bullet pointRan the sterilization area of a five-chair office, tracking every cassette through cleaning, packaging and the autoclave.

  5. Temporary crowns

    Say that you make them and that they hold until the permanent crown is ready.

    Example bullet pointMade temporary crowns and bridges that rarely needed redoing before the permanent restoration.

  6. Coronal polishing and sealants, where permitted

    These are expanded duties. Say which ones your state and your certificate allow.

    Example bullet pointPlaced sealants on children's molars under the dentist's supervision as an expanded functions assistant.

  7. Dental charting

    Show speed and accuracy as the dentist calls out findings.

    Example bullet pointCharted existing restorations and new findings for new patients as the dentist examined them.

  8. Practice software (Dentrix, Eaglesoft, Open Dental)

    Name the system and the tasks beyond charting, such as treatment plans or scheduling.

    Example bullet pointEntered treatment plans in Dentrix and printed cost estimates for patients before they left the chair.

Soft skills

Shown through what you did, never claimed as adjectives.

  1. Reassuring manner

    Show how you help anxious patients or children through treatment.

    Example bullet pointExplained each step to nervous adults, which helped several finish treatment they had put off for years.

  2. Anticipating the dentist's next step

    This is what dentists notice most. Show it with time saved or smoother procedures.

    Example bullet pointLearned two dentists' preferences for every procedure and had each instrument ready before they asked.

  3. Manual dexterity

    Show it through fine work: temporaries, impressions and suction in tight spaces.

    Example bullet pointKept the field clear with suction and retraction through long root canal treatments on back teeth.

  4. Organization

    Show it in room turnover, supplies and the day's schedule.

    Example bullet pointLaid out trays for the whole day each morning, so the team never waited on instruments.

  5. Punctuality

    Early starts and on-time turnover matter in a practice that books back to back.

    Example bullet pointOpened the office at 7 a.m. three days a week, with rooms and sterilizers ready for the first patient.

Licenses and certifications

Give them a section of their own, with who issued each one and the year or expiry date.

  • Certified Dental Assistant, CDA (DANB)
  • State registration or license, where required
  • Dental radiography certificate
  • Expanded functions certificate (EFDA)
  • CPR or Basic Life Support

Keywords from dental assistant job postings

Use the ones that are true for you, in your bullet points as well as your skills list.

  • chairside
  • X-rays
  • impressions
  • sterilization
  • Dentrix
  • fillings
  • crowns
  • sealants
  • patients a day

Each posting has its own words. Our guide to tailoring your resume to a job description shows how to find them and where to put them.

Where to put your skills

  • In a skills section: a short list of the hard skills the posting names, in its words.
  • In your bullet points: every skill that matters should show up in something you did, with a result. That is where a hiring manager believes it.
  • In your summary: two or three of the skills the job asks for most.

More on choosing them in how to choose and prove the skills on your resume.

Questions

What skills should a dental assistant put on a resume?

Chairside assisting, X-rays, impressions and scans, sterilization, temporary crowns, charting and practice software, plus any expanded functions your state allows. A reassuring manner and anticipating the dentist's needs matter just as much.

Do dental assistants need a certification?

It depends on the state. Some require registration or a radiography certificate, and the CDA from DANB is widely recognized. List what you hold in a section of its own.

Should I list expanded functions?

Yes, if you are certified for them. They let a practice hand you more of the work, which makes you more valuable.

Put them to work

Start from a dental assistant resume that already uses these skills, for an invented person, and make it yours in the builder.

Use this exampleRead the dental assistant resume example