How to Write a Resume for Dental Assistant Position?

Updated on: April 13, 2022

If you have obtained training as a dental assistant and would now like to work in a real-time environment, the first step that you need to take is to write a good dental assistant resume.

Competition is tough, therefore, you should write your resume for a dental assistant position in a way that instantly grabs the attention of a recruiter.

With so many resumes to go through, employers often get overwhelmed and this feeling can sometimes lead to them not being too attentive to what subsequent resumes offer.

If your resume is eye-catching, a hiring manager will have no choice but to give it a thorough viewing.

VIew the Job Advertisement and Description

Setting yourself apart from other dental assistants will require you to know your audience and then create a strategy that will help you stand out.

The dental assistant job description provided by the prospective employer will serve as support here. You can use it to pinpoint specific skills that you have which are in sync with what the prospective employer wants.

Dental Assistant Resume Sections

Objective/Professional Summary

Including an objective (for entry-level dental assistant resume) or a professional dental assistant summary will give you an edge.

In this section, you may mention your strong points such as “clear understanding of dental surgery procedures” and “high knowledge of maintaining personal hygiene”.

You should also emphasize your administrative skills as you will probably be handling at least some part of the dental surgery’s administrative work.

Core Competencies

Now that you have managed to pique the reader’s interest, it is important to keep him interested. Write about your competencies as a dental assistant.

  1. How much do you know about dental instruments and their sanitizing procedures?
  2. Do you know how to take radiographs?
  3. Can you interpret them?
  4. How good are you with dental terminology and vocabulary?

Answering all these under the “core competencies” head is sure to keep the reader interested so you can tell him all that you have done in a previous position.

Achievements

In fact, this is the most important section of a dental assistant resume. Think about your previous work experiences and scrutinize your accomplishments. You may get help from these sample accomplishments of a dental assistant.

Work Experience

Your work history as a dental assistant is very important as it tells a new employer your actual experience in working in this capacity.

Listing the most important duties of dental assistants such as handling ancillary duties (teeth whitening and orthodontics) will suggest that you know your job.

Since patient preparation is considered one of the main duties of a dental assistant, mention the fact that you know how to provide dental education to patients and physically prepare them for dental procedures.

Education and Certifications

As a dental assistant, you will need to be certified and a new employer will need this information on your resume.

List down all certifications that you have achieved along with any special training that you can boast of. If you feel that you have added something significant to the facility you were working for – an administrative procedure perhaps – do not be shy to mention it.

The more (accurate) information you provide in a resume, the more likely it is that you will be called in for a dental assistant interview.