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As a Certified Dental Assistant, you'll be an integral part of any dental practice, providing valuable support to dentists and ensuring a smooth patient experience. When crafting your resume, it's essential to showcase your expertise in dental procedures, patient care, and office management. Keep in mind that the dental field is continually evolving, with advancements in technology and shifts towards more patient-centric care. Employers are looking for dental assistants who are adaptable and committed to staying current on industry trends.
In your resume, emphasize your technical skills, certifications, and experience working as a dental assistant. Also, highlight your ability to work well with patients of all ages and backgrounds, as well as your strong communication skills. Your resume should demonstrate your ability to effectively manage your time and multitask in a busy dental practice while maintaining a high standard of patient care.
As a Certified Dental Assistant, your resume should highlight your relevant certifications, such as your Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) certification, radiology certification, or any additional dental assisting licensures. Include these in a dedicated "Certifications" section to demonstrate your expertise and qualifications.
Dental practices prioritize maintaining a sterile environment, and employers value dental assistants who are diligent in infection control protocols. Include any OSHA or HIPAA training you've received, and mention your experience in maintaining a safe and clean workspace within the dental practice.
Certified dental assistants have less formal education than registered dental assistants, but will generally be handling the same role at both the front and back of the dentist office. Their duties include entering medical records and scheduling appointments as well as reviewing dental procedures with patients. You can emphasize your experience in the role by listing your skills in a skill bank, along with a list of your certifications nearby. The body of your resume should support the certifications with practical experience.
Along with a skill bank, you should be sure that your bullet pointed accomplishments reflect the skills you’ve mastered by including a variety of dental assistant tasks for your past employers. Don’t just include the number of patients you worked with at past employers, but aim to reference your work compiling guides, performing chairside assistance, and ability to sterilize, for instance.
We spoke with hiring managers at top dental practices like Aspen Dental, Heartland Dental, and Pacific Dental Services to find out what they look for in Certified Dental Assistant resumes. The tips below are based on their expert insights and will help you create a resume that stands out from the competition and lands you more interviews.
Dental practices look for candidates with the right certifications and licenses. Make sure to prominently feature them on your resume, like this:
Avoid simply listing 'Certifications' under your education section without providing details. Hiring managers want to see the specific certifications you hold and when you earned them.
A summary, also known as a professional summary or resume summary, is an optional section that you can include at the top of your resume. While it's not a mandatory component, a well-written summary can be a valuable addition to your Certified Dental Assistant resume. It provides an opportunity to highlight your most relevant qualifications and experiences, giving employers a quick overview of what you bring to the table.
However, it's important to note that you should never use an objective statement in place of a summary. Objective statements are outdated and focus on what you want from the employer, rather than what you can offer them. Instead, use your summary to showcase your skills, experience, and value proposition.
Your work experience section is the heart of your resume as a certified dental assistant. It's where you show hiring managers how you've applied your skills and training in real-world settings. To make this section shine, focus on your achievements and the value you've brought to previous employers.
When describing your work experience, start each bullet point with a powerful action verb that showcases your dental assisting skills. This helps grab the hiring manager's attention and makes your contributions clear.
Avoid starting your bullet points with weak or generic phrases like "responsible for" or "helped with." Instead, use strong, specific verbs like:
The education section of your certified dental assistant resume should be clear and concise. It's an important part of your resume that hiring managers look at to gauge your qualifications. Here are some tips to help you write an effective education section:
The skills section of your certified dental assistant resume is where you highlight your top abilities that are relevant to the job. Hiring managers will scan this section to quickly assess if you have the right mix of skills they need. It's important to be strategic and thoughtful about what you include here.
Here are examples of popular skills from Certified Dental Assistant job descriptions that you can include on your resume.
This word cloud highlights the important keywords that appear on Certified Dental Assistant job descriptions and resumes. The bigger the word, the more frequently it appears on job postings, and the more likely you should include it in your resume.
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