# Dental Assistants

> Perform limited clinical duties under the direction of a dentist. Clinical duties may include equipment preparation and sterilization, preparing patients for treatment, assisting the dentist during treatment, and providing patients with instructions for oral healthcare procedures. May perform administrative duties such as scheduling appointments, maintaining medical records, billing, and coding information for insurance purposes.

- Code: 31-9091.00 (O*NET-SOC; SOC 2018 31-9091)
- Family: [Healthcare Support](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations#family-31), one of its 20 occupations
- Tasks: 16 tasks (14 core and 2 supplemental)
- Page: https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/31-9091.00
- JSON: https://foundation.org.ai/data/tasks/31-9091.00.json

## What the work is made of

1. Prepare patient, sterilize or disinfect instruments, set up instrument trays, prepare materials, or assist dentist during dental procedures.  
   Core task · Task 550 · Rated by 63 people who do the job, August 2021
2. Record treatment information in patient records.  
   Core task · Task 552 · Rated by 62 people who do the job, August 2021
3. Assist dentist in management of medical or dental emergencies.  
   Core task · Task 555 · Rated by 63 people who do the job, August 2021
4. Order and monitor dental supplies and equipment inventory.  
   Core task · Task 18552 · Rated by 62 people who do the job, August 2021
5. Expose dental diagnostic x-rays.  
   Core task · Task 551 · Rated by 63 people who do the job, August 2021
6. Provide postoperative instructions prescribed by dentist.  
   Core task · Task 554 · Rated by 61 people who do the job, August 2021
7. Instruct patients in oral hygiene and plaque control programs.  
   Core task · Task 557 · Rated by 61 people who do the job, August 2021
8. Take and record medical and dental histories and vital signs of patients.  
   Core task · Task 553 · Rated by 62 people who do the job, August 2021
9. Apply protective coating of fluoride to teeth.  
   Core task · Task 561 · Rated by 62 people who do the job, August 2021
10. Schedule appointments, prepare bills and receive payment for dental services, complete insurance forms, and maintain records, manually or using computer.  
   Core task · Task 563 · Rated by 61 people who do the job, August 2021
11. Make preliminary impressions for study casts and occlusal registrations for mounting study casts.  
   Core task · Task 558 · Rated by 61 people who do the job, August 2021
12. Pour, trim, and polish study casts.  
   Core task · Task 556 · Rated by 63 people who do the job, August 2021
13. Fabricate temporary restorations or custom impressions from preliminary impressions.  
   Core task · Task 562 · Rated by 62 people who do the job, August 2021
14. Clean and polish removable appliances.  
   Core task · Task 559 · Rated by 62 people who do the job, August 2021
15. Clean teeth, using dental instruments.  
   Supplemental task · Task 560 · Rated by 60 people who do the job, August 2021
16. Fabricate and fit orthodontic appliances and materials for patients, such as retainers, wires, or bands.  
   Supplemental task · Task 18553 · Rated by 61 people who do the job, August 2021

## More in Healthcare Support

- [Endoscopy Technicians](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/31-9099.02): 12 tasks
- [Healthcare Support Workers, All Other](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/31-9099.00): no tasks listed
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- [Medical Assistants](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/31-9092.00): 20 tasks
- [Medical Equipment Preparers](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/31-9093.00): 15 tasks
- [Medical Transcriptionists](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/31-9094.00): 15 tasks
- [Nursing Assistants](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/31-1131.00): 33 tasks
- [Occupational Therapy Aides](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/31-2012.00): 15 tasks
- [Occupational Therapy Assistants](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/31-2011.00): 22 tasks
- [Orderlies](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/31-1132.00): 22 tasks
- [Personal Care Aides](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/31-1122.00): 11 tasks
- [Pharmacy Aides](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/31-9095.00): 14 tasks
- [Phlebotomists](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/31-9097.00): 23 tasks
- [Physical Therapist Aides](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/31-2022.00): 19 tasks
- [Physical Therapist Assistants](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/31-2021.00): 21 tasks
- [Psychiatric Aides](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/31-1133.00): 17 tasks
- [Speech-Language Pathology Assistants](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/31-9099.01): 11 tasks
- [Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers](https://foundation.org.ai/occupations/31-9096.00): 28 tasks

## Where this comes from

Quoted from O*NET 29.0, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, under CC BY 4.0: free to copy and reuse, with credit. Nothing on this page is written by the Org.AI Foundation.