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What is a surgical dental assistant and how to become one
What general advice would you give to a surgical dental assistant?
Aaron Benitez CDA, RDA, RDHAP, MSDH
Dental Assisting Faculty, Articulation Officer, Website
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.
Avg. Salary $40,006
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 8%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.78%
Asian 7.41%
Black or African American 8.64%
Hispanic or Latino 23.61%
Unknown 5.11%
White 54.45%
Genderfemale 91.28%
male 8.72%
Age - 36American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 36Stress level is high
7.1 - high
Complexity level is intermediate
7 - challenging
Work life balance is excellent
6.4 - fair
Surgical dental assistant career paths
Key steps to become a surgical dental assistant
Explore surgical dental assistant education requirements
Start to develop specific surgical dental assistant skills
Skills Percentages Patients 23.40% Vital Signs 11.01% CPR 9.42% IV 9.11% Infection Control Procedures 8.05% Complete relevant surgical dental assistant training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New surgical dental assistants 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 surgical dental assistant based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real surgical dental assistant resumes.Obtain the necessary licensing
Becoming a licensed surgical dental assistant usually require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed surgical dental assistant in most of states. 43 states require surgical dental assistants to have license for their work. You can see the list of states below.State Education Exam License url Maryland Degree required Third-party exam required DENTAL HYGIENIST Alabama - - Licensed Dental Hygienist Alaska Degree required Third-party exam required Dental Hygienist Arkansas Degree required State exam required Dental Hygienist California Degree required Both state and third-party exams required Dental Hygienist, Registered Gain additional surgical dental assistant certifications
More About CertificationsSurgical dental assistant 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 surgical dental assistant certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.
The most common certifications for surgical dental assistants include Dental Assistant (RDA) and Certified Dental Technician.
Research surgical dental assistant duties and responsibilities
- Manage medical records and document examination notes, prescriptions, and procedure details in EMR.
- Train as an anesthesia technician and certify in CPR.
- Assist dentist in prophylactic procedures: provide necessary tools, sterilize equipment, comfort patients.
- Bill major insurance providers using ADA codes and process incoming payments from insure and non-insure patients and insurance providers.
Prepare your surgical dental assistant resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your surgical dental assistant 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 surgical dental assistant resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose from 10+ customizable surgical dental assistant resume templates
Build a professional surgical dental assistant 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 surgical dental assistant resume.
Apply for surgical dental assistant jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a surgical dental assistant 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
How did you land your first surgical dental assistant job
Are you a surgical dental assistant?
Share your story for a free salary report.
Average surgical dental assistant salary
The average surgical dental assistant salary in the United States is $40,006 per year or $19 per hour. Surgical dental assistant salaries range between $28,000 and $55,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do surgical dental assistants rate their job?
Surgical dental assistant reviews
I like knowing that your needed and your hard work doesn’t go unnoticed by your surgeon and your patients!!
You have to be an A+ at all times, you have no room for error, none at all!!! Absolutely none!!!
I love being able to help people get back on track with their health. I love to be a part of the process that stops and maintains oral disease.
It is taxing on your body, especially your neck and back.
I love working in Healthcare/Dental and having patients turn into relationships and friendship while doing my job to help them with dental care and hygiene. I liked working in a big office as well.
Updated January 8, 2025
