Dental assistant, Kaiāwhina rata niho
Also known as
- Dental surgery assistant, orthodontic auxiliary
Dental assistants help dentists with patient care and treatment. They also prepare and clean equipment, schedule appointments and give oral health care advice to patients.
Your pay could be
$70K
Lower
$74K to $81K
Most common
$84K
Upper
How does this pay compare?
Pay is before tax
Your training could be
0-1 year
Dental assistants
- usually work regular business hours but may work nights and weekends
- usually work in dental surgeries, hospitals, private dental practices and community health centres
- may work in noisy conditions
- need to be organised, accurate and methodical
Tasks
- assist dentists to perform procedures
- sterilise and prepare equipment
- maintain medical records
- use medical equipment
- explain procedures to patients and whānau
- prepare rooms for dental procedures
- perform suctioning during dental procedures
- do reception duties
Organised
Practical
Social
Interests that fit this job
Interest quiz,
Kairoro Kaingākau
Do the Interest quiz to find out how well your interests fit with this job.
Do the quizYou usually learn on the job to become a dental assistant and a qualification may be useful.
You may need
- to complete a Certificate in Dental Assisting
- to pass a police check
Registration
You need to be registered to do this job. This means you meet your industry's professional standards.
Dental Council of New Zealand
Te Kaunihera Tiaki Niho
Phone Number,04 499 4820
inquiries@dcnz.org.nz
https://www.dcnz.org.nz/If you’re in school
You usually don’t need specific NCEA levels for this job.
Path FinderTiro Whetū,
Discover the steps to this career idea.
Job Insights,
Māramatanga Mahi
People employed
3.2K
Employment change
Increase
Loading job ads
Path FinderTiro Whetū,
Discover the steps to this career idea.