Registered Dental Assistant

Primary Accountability

The Registered Dental Assistant is responsible for preparing the patient for treatment and assisting the dentist with various clinical procedures.

Description of Primary Responsibilities

1. Responsible for supporting and monitoring patient flow in the back office.
   • Scrubs appointments in advance to ensure proper lab cases, finances, and information is available for the patient visit.
   • Assists in the distribution of patients among dental providers, including walk-ins.
   • Keeps patients informed of wait times and ensures patients are properly flowed in the system.
   • Understands general front office workflows and is able to step in to support the front office when needed, and schedule patient appointments.
2. Responsible for performing various initial aspects of the patient visit.
   • Greets patients in the reception area and escorts the patient to the dental operatory.
   • Obtains vital signs and patient data.
   • Reviews health record with the patient and updates clinical information such as current medications, allergies, medical and surgical histories.
   • Performs documentation in the patient’s electronic health record according to policy and training.
   • Assures completion of consent forms and signatures.
   • Operation of dental radiographic equipment for the purpose of oral radiography.
   • Disinfects/prepares the operatory, and sets up trays and dental armamentarium for treatment. 
3. Responsible for performing supportive dental procedures under general supervision of a dentist.
   • Sterilizing instruments under infection control protocol.
   • Assisting the dentist during a variety of dental treatment procedures: charting, restorative, prosthodontics, endodontics, oral surgery, periodontics, and pedodontics.
   • Assures patients feel comfortable before, during and after dental treatment.
   • Provides patients with instructions for oral care following surgery or other dental treatment procedures.
   • Provides oral health education and oral hygiene instruction as needed. 
   • Explains as necessary dental treatment or procedures to the patient when questions are asked.
4. Responsible for performing various aspects of patient visit.     
   • Take impressions for diagnostic and opposing models, bleaching trays, temporary crowns and bridges, and sports guards with proper pour-ups.
   • Apply non-aerosol and non-caustic topical agents.
   • Remove post-extraction and periodontal dressings.
   • Apply topical fluoride, after scaling and polishing by the dentist/RDA.
   • Place and remove rubber dams.
   • Place wedge and remove matrices.
5. Performs other duties as assigned or required for quality of care.
   • Communicates with patients and suppliers (i.e., scheduling appointments, ordering supplies, coordinating equipment repairs, etc.).
   • Responsible for preparing and stocking dental operatories and monitoring adequate supplies in stock
   • Responsible for discarding of Biohazard waste and sharps.
   • Accountable for weekly testing and weekly/monthly cleaning of sterilization equipment.
   • Responsible for daily and weekly cleaning of water lines in the dental operatory units.
   • Responsible for maintaining accurate and timely logs.
   • Assists in other operatories or in front office if time allows or need is determined by the supervisor.
6. Under general supervision of a dentist, a Registered Dental Assistant may perform the following advanced duties. (The supervising licensed dentist shall be responsible for determining whether the authorized procedures performed by a Registered Dental Assistant should be performed under general or direct supervision.)
   • Mouth-mirror inspection of the oral cavity, to include charting of obvious lesions, existing restorations, and missing teeth.
   • Placement and removal of temporary sedative dressings.
   • Dry canals, previously opened by the dentist, with absorbent paper points.
   • Test pulp vitality and record findings.
   • Place bases and liners on sound dentin.
   • Remove excess cement from supra-gingival surfaces of teeth with a hand instrument or floss.
   • Size stainless steel crowns, temporary crowns, and bands.
   • Fabrication of temporary crowns intra-orally.
   • Temporary cementation and removal of temporary crowns.
   • Placement of post-extraction and periodontal dressings.
   • Apply and activate bleaching agents using non-laser light-curing device.
   • Take bite registrations for diagnostic models for case study only.
   • Coronal polishing of teeth which are calculus-free.
   • Application of pit and fissure sealants. (Must complete course prior to performing function.