DETAILED OCCUPATION DATA
31-9091 Dental Assistants
Occupational Description:
Perform limited clinical duties under the direction of a dentist. Clinical duties may include equipment preparation and sterilization, preparing patients for treatment, assisting the dentist during treatment, and providing patients with instructions for oral healthcare procedures. May perform administrative duties such as scheduling appointments, maintaining medical records, billing, and coding information for insurance purposes.| Percentiles | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geography | Employment | Emp SE* | Mean | Mean SE* | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
| Southeast Balance of State | 300 | 40 | $23.92/hr | $0.62/hr | $20.07/hr | $21.68/hr | $23.93/hr | $26.34/hr | $29.46/hr |
| Minnesota | 5,740 | 247 | $25.55/hr | $0.54/hr | $20.17/hr | $22.27/hr | $25.33/hr | $28.77/hr | $31.17/hr |
| U S | 351,470 | 3,163 | $20.14/hr | $0.08/hr | $13.69/hr | $16.37/hr | $19.61/hr | $23.76/hr | $27.86/hr |
| *SE = Standard error, a measure of the statistical reliability of the estimate. | |||||||||
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| Occupation (click title for details) | OES | Projections | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employment | Median Wage | % Change - | |
| Radiologic Technologists and Technicians | 160 | $32.09/hr | N/A |
| Surgical Technologists | 90 | $29.46/hr | N/A |
| Nonfarm Animal Caretakers | N/A | $12.22/hr | N/A |
Tasks for Dental Assistants
- Prepares patient, sterilizes and disinfects instruments, sets up instrument trays, prepares materials, and assists dentist during dental procedures.
- Takes and records medical and dental histories and vital signs of patients.
- Assists dentist in management of medical and dental emergencies.
- Records treatment information in patient records.
- Provides postoperative instructions prescribed by dentist.
- Pours, trims, and polishes study casts.
- Instructs patients in oral hygiene and plaque control programs.
- Cleans teeth, using dental instruments.
- Fabricates temporary restorations and custom impressions from preliminary impressions.
- Schedules appointments, prepares bills and receives payment for dental services, completes insurance forms, and maintains records, manually or using computer.
- Cleans and polishes removable appliances.
- Makes preliminary impressions for study casts and occlusal registrations for mounting study casts.
- Applies protective coating of fluoride to teeth.
- Exposes dental diagnostic x-rays.
