Resume example · Dental Assistant

Dental Assistant resume example.

A strong dental assistant resume makes three things obvious fast: that you are credentialed to take x-rays in your state, that you assist confidently chairside, and that you know the practice management software the office runs on. The example below leads with the DANB credential a recruiter scans for, names the systems and instruments you have actually used, and keeps clinical and front-office duties readable separately.

// example resume

A worked example for a fictional candidate. Copy the structure, not the details. Swap in your own real experience.

Keiko-Nakamura-Dental-Assistant-Resume.pdfBuilt with Resimay →
Keiko Nakamura
Certified Dental Assistant (CDA, DANB) | Radiography Certified
[email protected] · (555) 880-2455 · Portland, OR · linkedin.com/in/keiko-nakamura
Summary

Certified Dental Assistant with 4 years chairside in general and restorative practices, fluent in four-handed assisting, sterilization protocols, and digital radiography. Charts and schedules in Dentrix, keeps operatories turning over fast, and puts anxious patients at ease before the dentist sits down.

Experience
Dental Assistant2023 to Present
Camelback Family Dental
  • Assist two dentists chairside through 18 to 24 patient visits per day, providing four-handed support for restorative, crown-and-bridge, and extraction procedures.
  • Capture digital bitewing, periapical, and panoramic radiographs and intraoral photos, mounting images in Dentrix for the provider before the exam.
  • Sterilize and process instruments per CDC and OSHA infection control protocols, running weekly biological spore tests on the autoclave with a 100 percent pass record.
  • Take alginate impressions and pour study models for crowns and night guards, and place and adjust temporary crowns under the dentist's direction.
  • Cut operatory turnover time from 12 minutes to 8 by reorganizing tray setups and restocking, lifting daily provider capacity without adding rooms.
Dental Assistant2022 to 2023
Desert Ridge Dental Group
  • Supported chairside assisting and patient prep across a 4-operatory general practice using Eaglesoft for charting and scheduling.
  • Educated patients on post-operative care and oral hygiene, and reviewed treatment plans and financial estimates at handoff to the front desk.
  • Maintained inventory and reordered consumables, eliminating mid-day stockouts of gloves, anesthetic, and impression material.
Skills

Four-handed chairside assisting · Digital radiography (bitewing, periapical, panoramic) · Instrument sterilization and OSHA / CDC infection control · Alginate impressions and temporary crowns · Dentrix, Eaglesoft, and Open Dental · Patient prep, education, and post-op instructions · Tray setup, operatory turnover, and inventory

Education
Dental Assisting Certificate, Carrington College, Phoenix, AZ
Certifications
  • Certified Dental Assistant (CDA), DANB
  • Radiation Health and Safety (RHS), DANB
  • Arizona Radiologic Proficiency Certificate (state radiography certification)
  • Basic Life Support (BLS), American Heart Association
Tailor this to a real jobCheck your resume against a posting

Keywords ATS systems scan for

Use the ones that are genuinely true for you, in your own words. Mirror the exact phrasing from the job posting where it matches.

Certified Dental AssistantCDADANBfour-handed assistingchairside assistingdigital radiographysterilizationinfection controlDentrixEaglesoftdental impressionsOSHA compliance

How to make this resume stronger

Specific to dental assistant roles, not generic advice.

  • Lead with your DANB credential and radiography certification

    Recruiters and the ATS both scan for CDA and proof you can legally take x-rays. Put the DANB Certified Dental Assistant credential next to your name and list your state radiography certification in a certifications section. Taking radiographs is regulated state by state, so naming yours removes any doubt that you can shoot films on day one.

  • Name the practice management software the office uses

    ATS keyword matching is literal. If the posting says Dentrix, write Dentrix. If it says Eaglesoft or Open Dental, use that exact word. Practice software is one of the strongest signals for this role, so list the systems you have actually charted and scheduled in rather than a generic 'dental software'.

  • Show chairside range with specific procedures

    Do not just write 'assisted the dentist.' Name the procedures: four-handed support for crowns, extractions, and restorations, alginate impressions, temporary crowns, and digital radiographs. Specific terms match the job description and tell a recruiter exactly what you can do without being trained up.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Leaving off the DANB credential or the state radiography certification, the first things a hiring office checks.
  • Writing 'responsible for assisting the dentist' instead of the specific procedures and instruments you handled.
  • Listing 'dental software' generically when the posting names Dentrix, Eaglesoft, or Open Dental.
  • Burying sterilization and infection control, which are non-negotiable for OSHA and CDC compliance, instead of stating them plainly.

Dental Assistant resume FAQ

Do you need to be certified to put dental assistant on a resume?

It depends on your state. Some states let you work as a dental assistant on the job with no formal credential, while others require certification or a state license, especially to take x-rays or perform expanded functions. The DANB Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) credential is recognized nationally and is one of the first things a recruiter scans for. If you are certified, put it in your headline and a certifications section; if not, lead with your chairside experience and the procedures you can perform.

What certifications matter most on a dental assistant resume?

The DANB Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) is the big one, and it is built from three component exams: Radiation Health and Safety (RHS), Infection Control (ICE), and General Chairside (GC). Many offices also want a current BLS or CPR card and a state radiography certification, since x-ray rules vary by state. If you have completed expanded functions training (coronal polishing, sealants, impressions), list it, but use your state's exact title since the EFDA designation differs state to state.

What skills should a dental assistant resume include?

Group clinical and operational skills so a recruiter can scan each. Clinical: four-handed chairside assisting, digital radiography, alginate impressions, temporary crowns, sterilization, and infection control. Operational: the practice management software you use (Dentrix, Eaglesoft, Open Dental), patient prep and education, tray setup, operatory turnover, and inventory. Mirror the exact terms from the job posting so the ATS matches them.

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Last reviewed June 14, 2026.