DETAILED OCCUPATION DATA

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.

Occupational Employment Statistics(OES) Wage Data
Wages Updated to First Quarter, 2020

					Percentiles
Geography	Employment	Emp SE*	Mean	Mean SE*	10th	25th	Median	75th	90th
EDR 1 - Northwest	N/A	24	N/A	$1.65/hr	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
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.

Other Regional Data For Dental Assistants Geography (click title for details) OES Projections Employment Median Wage % Change  -  EDR 11 - 7 County Twin Cities 3,570 $26.62/hr N/A EDR 10 - Southeast 620 $25.10/hr N/A EDR 7W- Central 360 $23.75/hr N/A EDR 3 - Arrowhead 290 $23.34/hr N/A EDR 4 - West Central 140 $21.73/hr N/A EDR 5 - North Central 140 $20.89/hr N/A EDR 9 - South Central 120 $23.31/hr N/A EDR 2 - Headwaters 100 $20.35/hr N/A EDR 7E- East Central 100 $23.32/hr N/A EDR 1 - Northwest N/A N/A N/A EDR 6W- Upper Minnesota Valley N/A N/A N/A EDR 8 - Southwest N/A N/A N/A EDR 6E- Southwest Central N/A N/A N/A

Related Occupations

Occupation (click title for details)	OES		Projections
	Employment	Median Wage	% Change  -
Radiologic Technologists and Technicians	60	$28.69/hr	N/A
Surgical Technologists	20	$22.45/hr	N/A
Nonfarm Animal Caretakers	N/A	N/A	N/A

• 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.