Dental Assistant Resume: Examples and Tips

Stating something like “treating patients well” might be accurate, but it doesn’t give recruiters a full picture of how you service patients. When describing your skills and your job experiences, give concrete examples rather than general statements. For example, you could write “ensuring patients are comfortable before, during and after dental treatment.” Instead of listing “good at organization” as a skill, describe your proficiency at patient files and updating dental treatment records.

Emphasize the qualifications you already have, such as the technical knowledge you have through training. Rather than emphasizing daily work tasks, stress your proficiency with software tools such as Booker, Acuity Scheduling, Luma Health, and oral equipment such as suction hoses, matrix bands, curing lights, sterile bips, swabs. Also list any part-time jobs, internships or other extracurricular activities where you got to display your ability to manage patients, and provide care to others.

Since this position doesn’t typically require extensive work experience, you should opt for a functional resume format to showcase the breadth of your skill set. If you’re shifting over from another career, use a combination resume to show how you’ve applied the skills relevant to the dental assistant profession to other industries. For example, if you worked at a customer service position for 2 years before attending dental school, show how you learned to multitask, handle responsibility and practice customer care through that experience.

To learn more about formatting your resume, visit our resume format page.

Look to get certifications in more specialized areas, and mention both your certifications as well as your new skills. For example, don’t just mention that you are a DANB-certified dental assistant; in your skills section, list your abilities in radiation health and safety examinations. You should also get further training in restorative (e.g., sealants, impressions) and preventive (e.g., topical fluoride, coronal polishing) techniques.

Even if you lack technical training in dentistry, many dental practices are willing to train up employees. Impress potential employers by listing intangible skills that indicate your ability to get up to speed quickly, and bring the right approach to work, such as dependability, punctuality, good organization skills, a positive attitude, and being a team player. As mentioned above, you should also mention on-the-job training and other relevant work experiences, giving details backed by numbers. For example: “Managed records and administrative tasks for medical office serving an average of 400 patients a week.”