Associate Dentist Responsibilities

An associate dentist is often referred as the right hand of the dentist who supports him in performing his routine tasks and carrying out the dental duties effectively and efficiently. The main associate dentist responsibilities usually comprise assisting the dentist, working with him in the laboratory, preparing the dental equipments, making the patients comfortable and performing the related administrative and clerical work.

Key Responsibilities of an Associate Dentist Responsibilities

Associate dentists play a major role in the success of any dentist office. A dental associate usually gets acquainted with his duties on the job but additional training is helpful. He is accountable for carrying out the following key responsibilities:

1. He should make the patients feel comfortable and relaxed during the treatment
2. He should provide knowledge about the kind of treatment the patient will be going through and also provide him an insight on the kind of the dental problems the patient has
3. He should educate and advise the patient on general oral hygiene after examining the patients dental condition and abnormalities if any
4. He should make sure that all the patient related dental records, appointments and meetings are scheduled properly
5. He should design a plan for the treatment of the patients and seek their acceptance
6. He should make all the necessary arrangements that will ensure the dental procedure follows smoothly by confirming the appointment of the patient,arranging the dental equipments, and making the patient mentally stable for the treatment

He also needs to conduct several other routine dental office duties which are as under:

• Provides anesthesia, designing and fitting of different prosthodontic appliances like dentures, bridges etc. He provides the necessary instructions for dental technicians
• With the help of dental equipments, he examines the teeth, gums and other abnormalities to diagnose the oral diseases and formulates the plan of action
• Maintains all the documents related to the insurance claims, supervises the staff members and ensures a clean and healthy work environment for the patients
• He should keep himself updated on the latest developments in the dentistry and develop himself professionally
• He should schedule the patients appointments, send the invoices and make the due payments. He should make sure that the stock of the dental material is adequate and that the dental equipments are operating smoothly

Desired Skills for an Associate Dentist

If you want to become a professional associate dentist you need to have some of the skills mentioned below:

1. Should have a passion to gain knowledge in dentistry
2. Should have good listening ability and excellent communication skills to guide the patients and convince them to agree on the required dental treatment
3. Should have exceptional time management and organizational skills to schedule the appointments and meetings with the patients
4. Should be comfortable in handling the various procedures and equipments in the dental procedures
5. Should be comfortable in dealing with the dental reports, maintaining the dental records, preparation of invoices and making the due bill payments
6. Should be updated with current developments and be able to maintain a clean environment in the dental office

Educational Requirements for an Associate Dentist

If you are aspiring to make a career in the dental field, you can apply for the entry level post without any formal training. You can be trained on the job to become an associate dentist. If you wish to be a professional you need to take additional training to get the desired certification and license.

Work Schedule for an Associate Dentist

The work hours normally do not extend beyond thirty five to forty hours per week. However, the work hours may extend depending on the appointments and complexity of various dental procedures

Salary Details for an Associate Dentist

The salary normally commensurates with the relevant hands on experience in the dentistry field. A proven track record of handling the associate dentist responsibilities will definitely land you with the best opportunity available.

Career Advancement for an Associate Dentist

The career options are really bright for the associate dentists. They can be promoted as instructors, office manager or to some senior post.

By mastering the dental associate responsibilities you can look forward to an exciting and lucrative career as there is going to be a heavy demand for associate dentists.