Dental Assistant Resume Template Example

Writing a resume for a dental assistant job can be challenging, but it’s essential to showcase your skills and experience in a way that aligns with your career goals and the role you’re applying for. A well-crafted resume can help you stand out from other candidates and increase your chances of landing an interview. Include specific language relevant to the dental assistant job, such as knowledge of dental procedures, familiarity with dental software, and experience working with patients. Highlighting your achievements and quantifying your impact can also help demonstrate your value to potential employers.

This guide will help you craft a resume that gets you noticed, whether you’ve been in the field for years or are just starting out.

How To Write a Dental Assistant Resume

When writing a resume as a dental assistant, it’s important to include the following sections:

  • Contact information
  • Profile
  • Key skills
  • Professional experience
  • Education and certifications

Contact information

This one is fairly straightforward — give your full name, phone number, email address, location, and a link to your online professional profile. Ensure your contact information is current so that potential employers can contact you for an interview.

Example

Your Name
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
LinkedIn | Portfolio
City, State Abbreviation Zip Code

Profile

A resume profile for a dental assistant should be a brief summary of your qualifications, experience, and career goals. Emphasize your most relevant skills and achievements and demonstrate how you can add value to the dental practice.

Keep your profile concise and focused on your most relevant qualifications and experience. Use specific language related to the dental assistant job, such as knowledge of dental procedures, familiarity with dental software, and experience working with patients. Highlighting your achievements and quantifying your impact can also help demonstrate your value to potential employers.

Example

Certified dental assistant with over five years of experience in providing high-quality patient care and assisting dentists with a wide range of dental procedures. Skilled in taking digital radiographs, preparing patients for treatment, and maintaining accurate patient records. Proficient in using dental software such as Dentrix and Eaglesoft. Passionate about providing exceptional patient care and committed to staying up-to-date with the latest dental technologies and techniques.

Key skills

Using key skills in your dental assistant resume is important because it helps you stand out from other candidates and demonstrate your value to potential employers. Dental assistants are required to have a wide range of capabilities, including familiarity with dental software and procedures and expertise in working with patients. By demonstrating these skills in your resume, you can show potential employers you have the qualifications they seek and are a good fit for the dental assistant job.

It also helps your resume clear the bar of Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) which screen and filter resumes based on specific keywords and skills.

Hard Skills Soft Skills
Digital radiography Attention to detail
Experience with patients Communication
Familiarity with dental software (be specific) Empathy
Infection control Organization
Knowledge of dental procedures Teamwork

Resume writer’s tip: Use specific action verbs

In the dental assistant field, using action verbs in your resume is especially important to stand out from other candidates and demonstrate your value to potential employers. Dental assistants need diverse skills, such as experience working with patients and knowledge of dental procedures and software. By emphasizing these capabilities in your resume using action verbs, you can show potential employers you have the right qualifications and are a good fit for the dental assistant job.

Here are 10 common action verbs that are effective in the marketing industry:

Action Verbs
Assisted Collaborated
Communicated Educated
Evaluated Fabricated
Managed Organized
Prepared Sterilized

Professional experience

The professional experience section of your dental assistant resume should display your relevant work experience and skills. Use bullet points to make your resume easy to read and highlight your key achievements. Incorporate your capabilities within the descriptions of your previous work experience. Be sure to demonstrate specific instances where you utilized and demonstrated each skill. Rather than simply listing vague job descriptions, be specific about the types of dental procedures you have performed. This will show hiring managers you have a comprehensive knowledge of dentistry and oral health.

Example

Dental Assistant, Healthy Smiles Clinic, Columbus, OH
June 2019 – present

  • Assisted the dentist in over 100 dental procedures, including taking X-rays, preparing materials, and sterilizing instruments
  • Educate patients on oral hygiene and post-operative care, resulting in a 20% increase in patient satisfaction
  • Maintain patient records and ensure compliance with HIPAA regulations
  • Manage inventory and ordered supplies as needed, resulting in a 10% reduction in supply costs
  • Train new dental assistants on office procedures and protocols

Dental Assistant, Dr. Brenner’s Dental, Columbus, OH
January 2017 – May 2019

  • Helped the dentist with more than 50 dental procedures, including taking X-rays, preparing materials, and sterilizing instruments
  • Educated patients on oral hygiene and post-operative care
  • Maintained patient records and ensured compliance with HIPAA regulations
  • Managed inventory and ordered supplies as needed

Resume writer’s tip: Quantify your experience

By incorporating specific numbers, percentages, and measurable outcomes into your resume, you give prospective employers a clear understanding of your impact as a dental assistant. Providing measurable results validates your achievements and offers concrete evidence of your contributions.

Do
  • “Assisted the dentist in over 100 dental procedures, including taking X-rays, preparing materials, and sterilizing instruments.”
Don’t
  • “Assisted with dental procedures.”

Resume writer’s tip: Tailor your resume for each application

To tailor your dental assistant resume to the job listing, carefully read the job description and identify the key skills and qualifications the employer is looking for. Then, display these skills and qualifications in your resume, using specific examples from your work experience and education to demonstrate your proficiency.

Incorporate keywords from the job description into your resume. This will help your resume get past the ATS and increase your chances of getting an interview. Customize your objective statement to match the job description. This shows the employer you are specifically interested in the position and have the necessary skills to succeed. Emphasize your relevant work experience and skills that match the job description. Be sure to quantify your achievements with specific data points. Finally, proofread your resume for spelling and grammatical errors. A well-written and error-free resume will make a good first impression on the employer.

What if you don’t have experience?

If you are a dental assistant with little or no experience, there are several ways to compensate for this when applying for jobs. Even if you don’t have much work experience, you may have developed relevant skills through coursework or other experiences. Focus on these skills in your resume. If you have recently completed a dental assistant program, be sure to highlight this in your resume. Show potential employers you have the necessary knowledge and skills to succeed in the position.

Consider applying for an internship or volunteer position to gain experience in the field. This will give you the opportunity to learn new skills and gain valuable experience that you can emphasize on your resume.

Education and certifications

If you have completed an associate degree from an accredited dental assistant program, include it in your resume. This will show potential employers you have a comprehensive understanding of dentistry and oral health.

While dental assistant certification is not typically mandatory, it can increase your chances of being hired. If you have a dental assistant certification, be sure to mention it in your resume.

Example

Education

Associate degree in Dental Assisting, September 2014 – June 2016
Columbus State Community College, Columbus, OH

Certification

  • Certified Dental Assistant (CDA), the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB), 2020
  • Radiology certification, the Ohio State Dental Board, 2017

Dental Assistant Resume Template Text Example

Danielle Collins
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
LinkedIn | Portfolio
City, State Abbreviation zip code

Profile

Certified dental assistant with over five years of experience in providing high-quality patient care and assisting dentists with a wide range of dental procedures. Skilled in taking digital radiographs, preparing patients for treatment, and maintaining accurate patient records. Proficient in using dental software such as Dentrix and Eaglesoft. Passionate about providing exceptional patient care and committed to staying up-to-date with the latest dental technologies and techniques.

Key Skills

  • Digital radiography
  • Experience working with patients
  • Familiarity with dental software such as Dentrix and Eaglesoft
  • Infection control
  • Knowledge of dental procedures

Professional Experience

Dental Assistant, Healthy Smiles Clinic, Columbus, OH
June 2019 – present

  • Assisted the dentist in over 100 dental procedures, including taking X-rays, preparing materials, and sterilizing instruments
  • Educate patients on oral hygiene and post-operative care, resulting in a 20% increase in patient satisfaction
  • Maintain patient records and ensure compliance with HIPAA regulations
  • Manage inventory and ordered supplies as needed, resulting in a 10% reduction in supply costs
  • Train new dental assistants on office procedures and protocols

Dental Assistant, Dr. Brenner’s Dental, Columbus, OH
January 2017 – May 2019

  • Helped the dentist with more than 50 dental procedures, including taking X-rays, preparing materials, and sterilizing instruments
  • Educated patients on oral hygiene and post-operative care
  • Maintained patient records and ensured compliance with HIPAA regulations
  • Managed inventory and ordered supplies as needed

Education

Associate degree in Dental Assisting, September 2014 – June 2016
Columbus State Community College, Columbus, OH

Certifications

  • Certified Dental Assistant (CDA), the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB), 2020
  • Radiology certification, the Ohio State Dental Board, 2017
Andrew Stoner

Executive Resume Writer and Career Coach

A resume should be a forward-looking value proposition that showcases your most relevant accomplishments for a target role — not a rear view summary of your previous roles and responsibilities.

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