Overview

The Dental Assistant program at the Medical Training Institute of New York provides students with the technical and practical training necessary to work as a dentist's entry-level assistant. This course will introduce students to some of the essential skills of the Dental Assistant Profession.

The Dental Assistant will be responsible for general clinic administrative work and maintenance, as well as completing lab work under the direction of the dentist. The Dental Assistant’s primary responsibility is to prepare the examination rooms for appointments by sterilizing instruments and ensuring all necessary equipment is ready for the dentist. They also assist the dentist during their procedures by handing them instruments and anticipating their needs throughout the appointment. The Dental Assistant may also be responsible for greeting patients as they arrive, submitting billing details to the insurance company, and scheduling the patient’s next appointment before they leave the clinic. Other duties and responsibilities include:

Dental assistants have many tasks, including patient care, recordkeeping, and appointment scheduling. Their duties vary by state and by the dentists’ offices in which they work.

Dental assistants typically do the following:

• Ensure that patients are comfortable in the dental chair
• Prepare patients and the work area for treatments and procedures
• Sterilize dental instruments
• Hand instruments to dentists during procedures
• Dry patients’ mouths using suction hoses and other equipment
• Instruct patients in proper oral hygiene
• Process x-rays and complete lab tasks under the direction of a dentist
• Keep records of dental treatments
• Schedule patient appointments
• Work with patients on billing and payment

Dental assistants often spend much of their day working closely with patients and dentists. Dental assistants might take a patient’s medical history, blood pressure, and pulse before a procedure, explain what will be done, and talk to patients about oral care. They help dentists during an operation by passing instruments and holding equipment such as suction hoses, matrix bands, and dental curing lights. Other tasks include preparing the treatment room and ensuring sterile tools and equipment. Dental assistants also may document the procedure and schedule follow-up appointments.

Some dental assistants are trained to take x-rays of teeth and the surrounding areas. They place a protective apron over patients’ chest and lap, position the x-ray machine, place the x-ray sensor or film in patients’ mouths, and take the x-rays. Afterward, dental assistants ensure that the images are clear.

Assistants who perform lab tasks, such as taking impressions of a patient’s teeth, work under the direction of a dentist. They may prepare materials for dental impressions or temporary crowns.