Dental Assistants

Perform limited clinical duties under the direction of a dentist. Clinical duties may include equipment preparation and sterilization, preparing patients for treatment, assisting the dentist during treatment, and providing patients with instructions for oral healthcare procedures. May perform administrative duties such as scheduling appointments, maintaining medical records, billing, and coding information for insurance purposes.

$47,300
Median Annual Pay
Jobs growth:
+6% projected 2024โ€“2034
Postsecondary nondegree award
Typical Entry-Level Education

What They Do

Dental assistants work alongside dentists to ensure procedures run smoothly and patients feel comfortable. They prepare treatment rooms by sterilizing instruments, setting up trays with the necessary tools, and ensuring equipment is functioning properly. During procedures, they hand instruments to the dentist, use suction devices to keep the patient's mouth clear, and hold dental mirrors for better visibility. Between appointments, they take and develop dental x-rays, make impressions of patients' teeth for study models, and apply protective materials like sealants and fluoride treatments under the dentist's supervision.

Programs That Prepare You

College programs linked to this occupation, ranked by graduate earnings

Dental Support Services and Allied Professions(associates)Chabot College, CA
$85,175
Dental Support Services and Allied Professions(bachelors)Foothill College, CA
$81,255
Dental Support Services and Allied Professions(associates)Shoreline Community College, WA
$78,372
Dental Support Services and Allied Professions(bachelors)Lake Washington Institute of Technology, WA
$77,431
Dental Support Services and Allied Professions(associates)Community College of Denver, CO
$76,712
Dental Support Services and Allied Professions(bachelors)Pacific University, OR
$76,060
Dental Support Services and Allied Professions(masters)MCPHS University, MA
$75,871
Dental Support Services and Allied Professions(bachelors)University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus, OK
$75,367
Dental Support Services and Allied Professions(bachelors)University of Oklahoma-Health Sciences Center, OK
$75,367
Dental Support Services and Allied Professions(bachelors)College of Southern Nevada, NV
$75,252
Dental Support Services and Allied Professions(certificate)Cabrillo College, CA
$74,741
Dental Support Services and Allied Professions(bachelors)University of the Pacific, CA
$73,751
Dental Support Services and Allied Professions(bachelors)San Joaquin Valley College-Visalia, CA
$73,751
Dental Support Services and Allied Professions(bachelors)West Coast University-Orange County, CA
$73,751
Dental Support Services and Allied Professions(bachelors)West Los Angeles College, CA
$73,751
Dental Support Services and Allied Professions(bachelors)West Coast University-Los Angeles, CA
$73,751
Dental Support Services and Allied Professions(associates)Concorde Career College-San Bernardino, CA
$73,660
Dental Support Services and Allied Professions(bachelors)Farmingdale State College, NY
$72,908
Dental Support Services and Allied Professions(bachelors)Virginia Commonwealth University, VA
$72,808
Dental Support Services and Allied Professions(associates)Concorde Career College-Garden Grove, CA
$72,160
Dental Support Services and Allied Professions(bachelors)University of Maryland Baltimore, MD
$72,139
Dental Support Services and Allied Professions(bachelors)University of Hawaii at Manoa, HI
$71,260
Dental Support Services and Allied Professions(associates)Pima Medical Institute-Seattle, WA
$71,216
Dental Support Services and Allied Professions(associates)Pima Medical Institute-Tucson, AZ
$71,216
Dental Support Services and Allied Professions(associates)Pima Medical Institute-Houston, TX
$71,216

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