Why do you want to work in a dental office?

"I want to work in a dental office because I have a passion for dental health care , I have always been fascinated by the field of dentistry, and I enjoy interacting with patients and providing them with dental care to make a meaningful difference in their lives" is a good answer to this interview question.

How To Become A Dental Assistant/Receptionist: What It Is and Career Path

What is a dental assistant/receptionist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

Quoted experts

Aaron Benitez CDA, RDA, RDHAP, MSDH,

Carol Donohue

Are you interested in pursuing a career that comes with a mix of administrative and clinical duties? If you love working with people, helping with complex tasks, and want to get to work in as little as nine months, a career as a dental assistant may be right for you. A dental assistant is a dental health professional who works closely or under the supervision of a dentist. This is the career for those who wish to undergo short post-secondary training and then work in a rapidly growing industry. Today, Dental assistants have become a popular career choice for many reasons, including job stability, flexible schedule, quick entry into the workforce, and the ability to help others. It is an exciting role that blends the service elements of health care with office administration and scheduling.

Being a dental assistant, you will be a vital member of your oral health care team, with comprehensive and extensively varied duties. Your core responsibility is to assist dentists, hygienists, and therapists with a variety of dental procedures. Other duties may include patient care, recordkeeping, appointment scheduling, and providing a spectrum of services to support both dentists and administrative staff. Typically, you'll start your day preparing the examination room and dental equipment. You'll be the first face that patients see when they arrive at the dentist's office, so you need to be friendly and compassionate. Usually, you'll work full-time in a dental practice, where you'll spend much of your day working closely with patients and dentists. You may work part-time, that allows an appealing work/life balance.

Now, how can you become a dental assistant? There are several possible paths to becoming a dental assistant. In some states, there are no formal educational requirements, while others require their dental assistants to graduate from an accredited program and pass a state certification exam. Becoming a dental assistant is both professionally and financially rewarding. Being a chair-side caregiver, you can make an average annual wage of $37,000. However, your salaries can vary by the level of experience, geographical location, and nature of your duties assigned. A dental assistant is a fun, fast-paced, and growing career path where undertaking vocational training, further education, and experience can substantially increase your chances of employment, financial remuneration, and career advancement. Not only that, but dental assisting is forecast to be one of the fastest-growing health care occupations of the coming years. As U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the employment of dental assistants is projected to grow 11% from 2018 to 2028, meaning the job outlook is much faster than the average for all occupations. As ongoing research reveals the link between oral and general health, the demand for preventive dental services is rapidly growing, which has led to the opening for more dental practices, and the greater need for dental assistants.

What general advice would you give to a dental assistant/receptionist?

Aaron Benitez CDA, RDA, RDHAP, MSDH

Dental Assisting Faculty, Articulation Officer, Website

In California, it is an exciting time to be a Dental Assistant. The industry has been gradually adding more technologically advanced procedures like 3-D printing, intra-oral scanning, along with Artificial Intelligence (AI) assistance. A Dental Assistant needs to possess the traditional knowledge to be able to learn these new advanced procedures. In order to make themselves more competitive, the Dental Assistant must possess the knowledge and hands-on experience of these new procedures.
Also, since in California the minimum wage is increasing beyond the amount that a starting Dental Assistant could potentially earn, learning new advanced techniques is more relevant.

ScoreDental Assistant/ReceptionistUS Average

Salary

3.0

Avg. Salary $38,823

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.8

Growth rate 8%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.6

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.77%

Asian 8.82%

Black or African American 8.22%

Hispanic or Latino 24.85%

Unknown 5.09%

White 52.25%

Gender

female 93.33%

male 6.67%

Age - 36

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 36

Stress level

6.8

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.4

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

10.0

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a dental assistant/receptionist

Explore dental assistant/receptionist education requirements

Most common dental assistant/receptionist degrees

Associate

24.9 %

Bachelor's

22.3 %

High School Diploma

21.3 %

Start to develop specific dental assistant/receptionist skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	30.96%
Customer Service	7.71%
Dental Procedures	5.19%
Appointment Scheduling	4.09%
Strong Computer	3.79%

Complete relevant dental assistant/receptionist training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New dental assistant/receptionists learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a dental assistant/receptionist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real dental assistant/receptionist resumes.

Gain additional dental assistant/receptionist certifications

Dental assistant/receptionist certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific dental assistant/receptionist certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for dental assistant/receptionists include Dental Assistant (RDA) and Certified Dental Technician.

More About Certifications

Research dental assistant/receptionist duties and responsibilities

Coordinate continuing education courses, schedule in office training sessions and manage first aid, CPR and a certifications.
Contact pharmacist to authorize medication for patients prior to dental procedures.
Store records securely and handle in compliance with legal requirements, including the HIPAA privacy and security regulations.
Assist in a variety of dental procedures including all types of fillings, root canals, extractions, crowns and dentures.

Prepare your dental assistant/receptionist resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your dental assistant/receptionist resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a dental assistant/receptionist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable dental assistant/receptionist resume templates

Build a professional dental assistant/receptionist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your dental assistant/receptionist resume.

Apply for dental assistant/receptionist jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a dental assistant/receptionist job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

Average dental assistant/receptionist salary

The average dental assistant/receptionist salary in the United States is $38,823 per year or $19 per hour. Dental assistant/receptionist salaries range between $26,000 and $57,000 per year.

Average dental assistant/receptionist salary

$38,823 Yearly

$18.66 hourly

How do dental assistant/receptionists rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Dental assistant/receptionist reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2024

Pros

Good work life balance, low stress and responsibility

A zippia user wrote a review on May 2019

Pros

That I get teach and develop further dental assistant make them the best efda ever

Cons

Underplayed and unappreciated

What is a dental assistant/receptionist and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a dental assistant/receptionist?

Dental assistant/receptionist career paths

Key steps to become a dental assistant/receptionist

Explore dental assistant/receptionist education requirements

Most common dental assistant/receptionist degrees

Start to develop specific dental assistant/receptionist skills

Complete relevant dental assistant/receptionist training and internships

Gain additional dental assistant/receptionist certifications

Research dental assistant/receptionist duties and responsibilities

Prepare your dental assistant/receptionist resume

Choose from 10+ customizable dental assistant/receptionist resume templates

Apply for dental assistant/receptionist jobs

How did you land your first dental assistant/receptionist job

Average dental assistant/receptionist salary

How do dental assistant/receptionists rate their job?

Dental assistant/receptionist reviews

Dental assistant/receptionist FAQs

Why do you want to work in a dental office?

Search for dental assistant/receptionist jobs

Dental assistant/receptionist jobs by state