How to hire a certified dental assistant

How to hire a certified dental assistant, step by step

Here's a step-by-step certified dental assistant hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a certified dental assistant job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new certified dental assistant
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your certified dental assistant job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a certified dental assistant for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect certified dental assistant also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   Here's a comparison of certified dental assistant salaries for various roles:

   Type of Certified Dental Assistant	Description	Hourly rate
   Certified Dental Assistant	Dental assistants perform many tasks, ranging from providing patient care and taking x rays to recordkeeping and scheduling appointments. Their duties vary by state and by the dentists’ offices where they work.	$13-24
   Dental Nurse	A Dental Nurse assists dentists in carrying out different kinds of oral-care procedures. They look after patient records and make notes when the dentist is examining a patient.	$24-61
   Dental Technician	Dental Technicians manufacture dental prosthetics, such as crowns, bridges, and dentures in accordance with the dentist's specifications. They are also responsible for replacing, repairing, or modifying full or partial dentures.	$19-55

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Dental Procedures
   • CPR
   • Chair Side
   • Patient Care
   • Treatment Rooms
   • Scheduling Appointments
   • Infection Control Procedures
   • Front Desk
   • Oral Surgery
   • Dental Care
   • Radiology
   • Vital Signs
   • Nitrous Oxide

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage surgery center infection control plan to meet OSHA, CDC and ADA standards.
   • Provide excellent customer service to dental patients and represent the organization at trade shows and presentations.
   • Reconcile payments, verify insurance benefits, schedule appointments and present patients with necessary treatment plans.
   • Assist in oral surgery under local and twilight anesthesia in a private practice setting.Primary IV starter and administer anesthetics on command.
   • Perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation and operate resuscitation equipment.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your certified dental assistant job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A certified dental assistant can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, certified dental assistants' average salary in mississippi is 42% less than in minnesota.
   • Seniority. Entry-level certified dental assistants 45% less than senior-level certified dental assistants.
   • Certifications. A certified dental assistant with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a certified dental assistant's salary.

   Average certified dental assistant salary

   $38,418yearly

   $18.47 hourly rate

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   Entry-level certified dental assistant salary

   $28,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 13, 2025

4. Writing a certified dental assistant job description

   A certified dental assistant job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a certified dental assistant job description:

   Certified dental assistant job description example

   Our Dental Assistants earn competitive wages and are eligible for great benefits including, health, dental, flexible spending, Group Term Life, Vacation, Sick, Holiday's, 403b, and more!

   About Community Health Center of the Black Hills

   For over 20 years our staff of medical professionals has been providing patients with the highest quality medical care and programs for overall healthy living. CHCBH operates a medical clinic, pediatric clinic, oral health clinic, and a school-based clinic.

   Our great Oral Health Center offers a full complement of preventive and restorative care. To meet the needs of our patients, dental services are provided at two locations, Oral Health Center and General Beadle School-Based Health Center. Our staff of Dentists, Dental Hygienists, Dental Assistants and support personnel provides unconditional, routine dental care.

   The Oral Health Center specializes in providing routine, general dentistry. We have a state-of-the art dental facility where patients receive quality dental care in a comfortable and clean environment.

   As a non-profit organization, we trust our employees to work and perform within our mission , providing high-quality medical, dental, and mental health care for the community. It is our vision to be recognized as the premier team that provides comprehensive, world-class health care for all walks of life. We strive to attract and retain staff who share our values of teamwork, excellence, integrity, respect, accountability, and happiness.

   Dental Assistant Position

   At CHCBH our Dental Assistants are caring professionals that are dependable, eager and excited to learn and grow in our dental practice. Our Dental Assistants see patients of all ages and provide the highest quality of care and customer service when providing oral health education, preparing patients for exams and providing chair side assistance and charting to assist the provider and dental hygienist. Our dental assistants expose and process dental radiographs and always adhere to established standard precaution guidelines and infection control practices utilizing protective attire and barrier techniques.

   Qualifications

   • Current South Dakota Dental Assisting and Dental Radiography certificate (or eligible for certification examination)
   • Current CPR certification

   Are you a positive team player who wants to make a difference in the lives of the patients you serve? Do you genuinely like to help people and have the drive to build your career on doing good? Then Apply Today!

   
   
   Job Posted by ApplicantPro
   

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right certified dental assistant for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your certified dental assistant job on Zippia to find and attract quality certified dental assistant candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as healthcarejobsite, health jobs nationwide, hospitalcareers, medreps.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with certified dental assistant candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new certified dental assistant

   Once you've found the certified dental assistant candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new certified dental assistant. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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