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Dental assistant extern skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted expert
Aaron Benitez CDA, RDA, RDHAP, MSDH
Dental assistant extern example skills
Below we've compiled a list of the most critical dental assistant extern skills. We ranked the top skills for dental assistant externs based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 34.9% of dental assistant extern resumes contained patients as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a dental assistant extern needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 dental assistant extern skills for your resume and career

1. Patients

Here's how dental assistant externs use patients:
  • Developed and officiated over numerous Veteran Recognition Services in the community and have provided private family ceremonies for our veteran patients.
  • Assessed spiritual needs of patients and families/caregivers and provided direct spiritual support, care and education to patients and family/caregivers.

2. Dental Procedures

Dental procedures is a term used to refer to the medical procedures and processes which occur within or otherwise related to a patient's teeth or other connected and nearby elements. Such procedures are medical in nature and thus must be done, specifically, by medical experts and professionals who also must be in possession of the appropriate medical licenses. These procedures can include but are not limited to: dental fillings, crowns, extraction of teeth, and braces.

Here's how dental assistant externs use dental procedures:
  • Shadowed dental assistant to obtain experience in assisting with dental procedures.
  • Obtained preliminary impressions and bite registrations required for dental procedures.

3. Patient Care

Patient care entails the diagnosis, recovery, and control of sickness as well as the maintenance of physical and emotional well-being through the use of healthcare providers' services. Patient care is described as services provided to patients by health practitioners or non-professionals under guidance.

Here's how dental assistant externs use patient care:
  • Collaborated on inter-disciplinary teams and with patient care conferences, providing consultation, education, and support.
  • Provided excellent patient care and customer service and also assisted with the front desk confirming appointment and handling incoming calls.

4. Instrument Trays

Here's how dental assistant externs use instrument trays:
  • Prepared patient, sterilized and disinfected instruments, set up instrument trays, prepared materials and assisted dentist with procedures.
  • Performed chair side duties to include: preparing patient for procedures, set up instrument trays, and materials.

5. Infection Control

Infection control describes the principles and practices used in hospitals and other healthcare facilities to control and minimize the spread of infections with the aim of lowering rates of infection. Infection control refers to the process of detecting and controlling pathogens in order to reduce their spread.

Here's how dental assistant externs use infection control:
  • Prepared and sterilized instruments and equipment for infection control management.
  • Assist with implementation and documentation of current infection control standards.

6. Exam Rooms

An exam room in a hospital is a place where patients are examined by medical representatives. In several cases, the exam room distinguishes the doctor-patient relationship and is a critical component of the overall care process.

Here's how dental assistant externs use exam rooms:
  • Sterilized instruments using autoclave, set up and broke down exam rooms, and disinfected work stations.
  • Maintain cleanliness and sterilization of patient exam rooms to ensure a safe and comfortable patient experience.

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7. Vital Signs

Vital signs are a set of values indicating different body systems' performance. They are measurements of the body's most basic functions. The four major vital signs used in medicine to assess a patient are body temperature, pulse rate, respiration rate, and blood pressure.

Here's how dental assistant externs use vital signs:
  • Chair side assist, sterilization, recorded vital signs and assisted with surgical procedures.
  • Obtained patients vital signs prior to Dr.'s arrival and assisted during surgery.

8. Oral Hygiene

Oral hygiene is the terminology used to describe the state and measurement of cleanliness and health in one's mouth and, sometimes, the surrounding areas. The most basic way of ensuring and improving a good oral hygiene is the regular brushing of one's teeth, but trips to the dentist and other healthcare professionals are a common need, even if it is just for check-ups.

Here's how dental assistant externs use oral hygiene:
  • Provided basic information on maintaining oral hygiene and instructions post dental treatment.
  • Prepared patients for procedures and delivered patient personal oral hygiene instructions.

9. Front Desk

Here's how dental assistant externs use front desk:
  • Assist doctors in clinical procedures, Maintaining insurance payments, Scheduling patients and other front desk duties.
  • Explained patients with their after surgery and checkup instruction and directed them to front desk for future appointments

10. Chair Side Assistance

Here's how dental assistant externs use chair side assistance:
  • Provided complete chair side assistance to a wide variety of dental situations.
  • Chair side assistance for the Dentist or Certified Dental Assistant.

11. Dental Instruments

Here's how dental assistant externs use dental instruments:
  • Sterilized and disinfected all dental instruments and equipment; following strict guidelines.
  • Maintained the sterilization of dental instruments and office sanitation.

12. Digital X-Rays

Here's how dental assistant externs use digital x-rays:
  • Mastered digital x-rays and ensured patients understanding.
  • Bracket Placement and Removal Training* Digital X-ray Training

13. Appointment Scheduling

Here's how dental assistant externs use appointment scheduling:
  • Greeted and seated patients and assisted with basic front office duties, including supply stocking and appointment scheduling via Easy Dental.
  • Front Office- Filing patient charts, re-calls, intro to insurance verification & appointment scheduling, appointment confirmation calls.

14. Treatment Rooms

Here's how dental assistant externs use treatment rooms:
  • Prepared treatment rooms by following prescribed procedures and protocols.
  • Cleaned and sterilized office treatment rooms and laboratory.

15. Oral Health

Here's how dental assistant externs use oral health:
  • Prepared tray set up for various procedures and instructed patients on postoperative oral health care.
  • Performed oral prophylaxis, scaling, fluoride treatments and oral health counseling.
top-skills

What skills help Dental Assistant Externs find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What dental assistant extern skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Aaron Benitez CDA, RDA, RDHAP, MSDHAaron Benitez CDA, RDA, RDHAP, MSDH LinkedIn profile

Dental Assisting Faculty, Articulation Officer, Website

In the Dental Assisting program at West Los Angeles College, the advice that we give our students includes several topics. The main recommendation is to take the California's Registered Dental Assistant (RDA) exam. Other advice includes, creating a professional resume (cloud based and on paper), always be respectful of other's time and having a professional mindset. These are qualities that are timeless.

List of dental assistant extern skills to add to your resume

Dental assistant extern skills

The most important skills for a dental assistant extern resume and required skills for a dental assistant extern to have include:

  • Patients
  • Dental Procedures
  • Patient Care
  • Instrument Trays
  • Infection Control
  • Exam Rooms
  • Vital Signs
  • Oral Hygiene
  • Front Desk
  • Chair Side Assistance
  • Dental Instruments
  • Digital X-Rays
  • Appointment Scheduling
  • Treatment Rooms
  • Oral Health
  • Dental Assistants
  • Oral Surgery
  • Alginate Impressions
  • Blood Pressure
  • Amalgam
  • Patient Charts
  • Eaglesoft
  • CPR
  • Root Canals
  • Study Casts
  • Medical History
  • Patient Education
  • Instrument Sterilization
  • Dental Materials
  • Dental Equipment
  • Dentures
  • Study Models
  • Patient Appointments
  • HIPAA
  • Chair Side Procedures
  • Dental Histories
  • Patient Rooms
  • Coronal Polish
  • Disinfect Instruments
  • PowerPoint
  • FMX
  • Perio
  • Dental Radiographs
  • Digital Radiographs
  • Restorative Procedures
  • Facebook
  • Treatment Procedures
  • Bite Wings
  • Dental Treatment

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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