WHAT DOES A DENTAL DO?

Published: Jun 20, 2025 - The Dental Professional delivers expert dental care through the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of oral health conditions. This responsibility involves utilizing advanced clinical techniques and sterilization protocols to ensure safety and patient satisfaction. This position also maintains detailed patient records and collaborates with interdisciplinary teams to optimize long-term oral wellness outcomes.

A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Dental

1. Dental Assistant General Responsibilities

  • Chairside Assistance: Assisting the dentist during a variety of treatment procedures
  • Radiography: Capturing quality dental radiographs (X-rays)
  • Patient Comfort: Ensuring patients feel comfortable before, during, and after dental treatment
  • Infection Control: Carrying out infection control protocol, preparing and sterilizing instruments and equipment
  • Post-Treatment Care: Providing patients with instructions for oral care following surgery or other dental treatment procedures, as directed by the doctor
  • Oral Hygiene Education: With the direction of the dentist, educating patients on appropriate oral hygiene strategies to maintain oral health (e.g., tooth brushing, flossing, and nutritional counseling)
  • Dental Impressions: Taking impressions of patients' teeth for study casts
  • Communication and Scheduling: Enthusiastic communication with patients and suppliers (e.g., scheduling appointments, answering the telephone, billing, and ordering supplies as directed by the office manager)

2. Dental Assisting Instructor Roles and Responsibilities

  • Curriculum Preparation: Prepare for each class by reviewing the curriculum, lab stations, and PowerPoint presentations provided.
  • Lecture Delivery: Deliver PowerPoint-based lectures, supplementing with real-life work experience.
  • Lab Instruction: Demonstrate dental skills/procedures and assist students as they practice hands-on in the lab.
  • Performance Evaluation: Evaluate individual/group performance and make any necessary adjustments to meet student learning needs.
  • Attendance Monitoring: Monitor student attendance and coordinate with the Administrative Office when absences occur.
  • Classroom Management: Enforce classroom management (i.e., students are expected to be respectful, professional, and well-behaved, office workspaces and common areas are expected to be kept clean, etc.) and ensure that safety precautions are adhered to.

3. Dental Director Job Summary

  • Policy Implementation: Creates and implements policies to ensure the effectiveness and efficiency of all clinical programs.
  • Training and Education: Facilitates training, scheduling of volunteers, and continuing medical education of volunteers and staff on dental protocols.
  • Standards Compliance: Member of professional standards committee, which includes credentialing, peer review, and quality improvement processes.
  • Regulatory Adherence: Ensures CVIM adheres to all state, federal, local, OSHA, and other regulatory guidelines.
  • FTCA Oversight: Oversees all FTCA-required activities as part of the FTCA deeming program.
  • Data Management: Maintains advanced knowledge of the patient database to compile and retrieve data for program reporting.
  • Care Model Integration: Leads the dental clinical team in implementing care models that expand the scope of dental services by integrating services within other care delivery models throughout the clinical practice (hospital, health center).
  • Performance Management: In conjunction with the administrative leader, manages performance improvement projects at her/his clinical site.
  • Provider Evaluation Support: Supports the Clinical Chair in evaluating dental providers and services.

4. Dental Hygienist Duties and Roles

  • Patient Comfort: Ensure patients feel as comfortable as possible during their office visit
  • Health Screening: Review and update medical history, conduct initial oral screenings (including oral cancer), and check oral health history
  • Gum Evaluation: Identify any areas of gum disease present and be able to educate the patients on their condition and recommend proper treatment
  • Teeth Cleaning: Proper prophylaxis with the use of ultrasonics, hand scalers, and laser
  • Home Care Instruction: Educate patients of all ages on proper home care specific to each patient’s needs (bridges, implants, hybrids, crowns, partials, dentures, veneers, Invisalign, whitening, etc)
  • X-rays and Impressions: Take any necessary X-rays (Pano, BWX, FMX, PAs) and dental impressions
  • Intraoral Photos: Take intraoral photos of areas of concern and be able to discuss findings and possible recommendations before the Doctor comes in for the exam
  • Patient Records: Maintain proper documentation on each patient for all services performed and treatment recommended
  • Room and Equipment: Each RDH is responsible for their rooms, instruments, and the proper care and maintenance of hygiene equipment

5. Dental Nurse Key Accountabilities

  • GDC Compliance: Dental Nursing duties to be in line with the current GDC Standards
  • Clinical Assistance: Assisting the Dentist and/or Hygienist with all clinical aspects within the surgery
  • Patient Care: Providing excellent patient care
  • Infection Control: Maintaining cross-infection control, equipment, and materials.
  • Protocol Adherence: Adhering to the systems and protocols in line with the company's strategy, goals, and values
  • Surgery Procedures: Applying proficient surgery procedures, ensuring the best utilisation of surgery time.
  • Admin and Reception: High-quality reception and administrative duties

6. Dental Therapist Essential Functions

  • Clinical Practice: Perform all duties of a dental therapist, advanced dental therapist, and, if dual-licensed, dental hygienist in compliance with Minnesota Board of Dentistry rules.
  • Emergency Procedures: Know and perform clinical emergency procedures.
  • Policy Implementation: Implement policies, procedures, and treatment guidelines.
  • Schedule Management: Manage and optimize patient schedules for clinic efficiency.
  • Team Direction: Provide work direction to licensed dental assistants.
  • Equipment Maintenance: Maintain patient care equipment, supplies, and processes.
  • Record Keeping: Record and maintain accurate patient records using appropriate systems.
  • Recall Coordination: Maintain and coordinate a patient recall process with clerical staff.
  • Dentist Collaboration: Collaborate with dentists under a management agreement.
  • Meeting Participation: Attend HealthPartners governance meetings, staff meetings, and clinic-based meetings.
  • Management Support: Perform duties directed by the Clinic Management Team.
  • Patient Safety: Ensure patient safety and adherence to health standards and regulations.