Dental Assistant

What They Do:

Dental Assistants prepare and organize tools needed by dentists to work on patients. They help with patient care, record-keeping, and appointment scheduling. 

A Registered Dental Assistant is one who holds a permit from the Arkansas State Board of Dental Examiners to perform expanded functions such as coronal polishing, operating dental radiographic equipment, inducing and monitoring nitrous oxide/oxygen analgesia, monitoring patients under deep sedation or general anesthesia in a dental office.

Also Known As:

Certified Dental Assistant (CDA), Certified Registered Dental Assistant, Dental Assistant (DA), Expanded Dental Assistant, Expanded Duty Dental Assistant (EDDA), Expanded Functions Dental Assistant (EFDA), Oral Surgery Assistant, Orthodontic Assistant (Ortho Assistant), Registered Dental Assistant (RDA), Surgical Dental Assistant‍

Education Requirements:

• ‍‍Less than one year

Career Info Sources Include:

• Career One Stop
• Bureau of Labor Statistics