Dental Assistant Resume Example & Writing Guide
Use this Dental Assistant resume example and guide to improve your career and write a powerful resume that will separate you from the competition.
Dental assistants are the unsung heroes of the dental world. They help dentists and hygienists provide quality care to patients by performing routine tasks like preparing treatment rooms and instruments, taking X-rays, and assisting with procedures.
Because the role of dental assistant is so varied, there’s no one-size-fits-all resume template that will work for every applicant. But if you want to write a compelling dental assistant resume that will land you interviews with top employers, follow these tips and example below to guide your efforts.
How to Write a Dental Assistant Resume
Here’s how to write a dental assistant resume of your own.
Write Compelling Bullet Points
Bullet points are the most important part of your resume because they’re the first thing recruiters will read. And since they’re so important, it’s crucial that you use them to your advantage by crafting compelling bullet points that highlight your experience and skills.
The best way to do this is to focus on the results of your work. So rather than saying you “provided patient care,” you could say you “provided patient care for 15 patients per day, ensuring all patients received proper care according to clinic protocols.”
The second bullet point is more specific and provides more detail about the nature of the work. It also provides a quantifiable measure of the work being done—which is always a good thing.
Related: What Is a Dental Assistant? How to Become One
Identify and Include Relevant Keywords
When you apply for a job as a dental assistant, your resume is likely to be scanned by an applicant tracking system (ATS) for certain keywords. This program will look for certain terms related to the job, like “oral surgery” or “endodontics” to determine whether your skills are a match for the position. If you don’t have enough relevant keywords on your resume, the ATS might discard your application.
To increase your chances of getting an interview, use this list of common dental assistant keywords to help you optimize your resume:
- Dental Assisting
- Dentistry
- Dental Care
- Healthcare
- Dental Surgery
- Medical Assisting
- Patient Safety
- Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
- Dentures
- Oral Surgery
- Healthcare Management
- Oral Health
- Sterilization
- Orthodontics
- Customer Service
- Clinical Research
- Dentrix
- Restorative Dentistry
- Laboratory Work
- Dentrix Dentistry
- Crowns
- X-ray
- Nitrous Oxide
- Surgery
- Endodontics
- Restorative Dentistry
- Endodontics
- Patient Education
- Prosthodontics
- Medical Terminology
Showcase Your Technical Skills
Dental assistants use a variety of technology in their work, from computers to x-ray machines. That’s why it’s important to list your technical skills prominently on your resume. By doing so, you’ll show that you’re a valuable candidate who is familiar with the essential tools and systems used in your field.
Recruiters are looking for dental assistants who are proficient in specific programs, such as DENTrix and Dexis. They also want to see that you have experience with specific systems and methodologies, such as digital radiography and CBCT. So be sure to list all of your relevant technical skills prominently on your resume.
Related Resume Examples