Duties and Functions

• Assisting the dentist during a variety of treatment procedures
• Taking dental radiographs (x-rays)
• Asking about the patient's medical history and taking blood pressure and pulse
• Serving as an infection control officer, developing infection control protocol and preparing and sterilizing instruments and equipment
• Helping patients feel comfortable before, during and after dental treatment
• Providing patients with instructions for oral care following surgery or other dental treatment procedures, such as the placement of a restoration (filling)
• Teaching patients appropriate oral hygiene strategies to maintain oral health (e.g., tooth brushing, flossing and nutritional counseling)
• Taking impressions of patients' teeth for study casts (models of teeth)
• Performing office management tasks that often require the use of a personal computer
• Communicating with patients and suppliers (e.g., scheduling appointments, answering the telephone, billing and ordering supplies)
• Helping to provide direct patient care in all dental specialties, including orthodontics, pediatric dentistry, endodontics, periodontics and oral surgery