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TUT Dental Assistant

Published

1 year ago

January 4, 2024

Alice Krige

TUT Dental Assistant

What does a dental assistant do?

To prepare patients for oral exams and treat their teeth, mouth, and gums, dentists, dental therapists, and dental hygienists rely on dental assistants. In addition to performing reception duties, dental assistants also perform administrative tasks. A dental assistant prepares materials used in making impressions and restorations, exposes radiographs, and processes dental pictures under the dentist’s supervision.

An oral examination or treatment may require the following tasks from a dental assistant:

prepare patients for dental procedures
record findings from oral examinations; during oral examinations or treatments, dispense instruments and materials
give patients undergoing general or local anesthesia pre- and post-operative instructions
operate handheld equipment to clear the patient’s mouth of saliva or dental materials used in the treatment by operating handheld equipment
sterilize and clean instruments after treatment
keep dental supplies stocked
preparing accounts and collecting payments; making appointments for patients, keeping records of their treatments.

A dental assistant assists dentists in the practice or clinic by assisting with infection control, mixing and preparing dental materials, explaining oral hygiene to patients, and developing and mounting X-rays. Additionally, they help with stock control, accounting, and keeping track of patients.

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