Interview for a Dental Assistant Position

Interview process for any job can be grueling. With this economy landing a job at first attempt is crucial for many. I have interviewed a few people for dental assistant position over the years. I have also been able to compile the inputs of a few of my dental assistant friends who got interviewed for jobs.

Like any other organization, dental practices also look for certain qualities in an applicant. I was recently asked for advice on this matter. Here is what my reply was. I hope it will be useful as a guideline for those who need some guidance :

1. Professionalism is a must. You definitely have to pay attention to proper attire and demeanor.

2. The interviewer can ask you why you became a dental assistant in the first place,

3. Of course, what materials and instruments you are familiar with.

4. They will try to find out if you are a team player. No matter how much hierarchy there is in an organization, ultimately it depends on how harmoniously all of its units can work together. So that if VERY important.

5. They will also try to find out how reliable you are with attendance, attentiveness, work ethics, and knowledge of the subject. Therefore, they WILL ask for letters of recommendation, if they haven't already.

6. You also should find out what kind of procedures that practice mostly focuses on. For example, if you are more comfortable assisting for simple restorative cases, you may end up feeling like a fish out the bowl for Oral Surgery or Periodontal Surgery cases.

7. They can also ask you about how you would keep track of the laboratory cases,

8. Sometimes they like to ask if you have the basic maintenance skills for the x-ray units and processors, Statum, Autoclave and if you have been doing the spore testing, sterilization of instruments, etc.

9. All practices, these days are trying to cut cost. Therefore, they look for people who can do multiple tasks for them. If you can prove yourself to be that special person, you will get the job without any problem. So, prepare your resume to highlight your skills OR you can mention those as your asset at the time of the interview.

10. Some practices like you to be familiar with the computerized scheduling programs, most commonly the "Dentrix". If you know how to do that, you can easily get familiar with other programs.

11. You can excel if you have basic knowledge on insurance coverages. At least to know on top of your head which procedures will definitely have co-pays. On the other hand, if you do not have the knowledge at least you should be able to direct them to the proper person. These days the patients ask a lot of questions chair-side about the payment methods and anything that involves cost.

12. They will ask you for your Radiology Certification, and the CPR Certification.

13. Don't feel shy to ask about their pay structure, evaluation and raise policy, benefits package (e.g., health insurance, disability insurance, and retirement plan, if any), and how much vacation time you can get as a full-time / part-time employee.

14. Don't forget to ask how long the probation period will be. Some organizations set it for the initial 6 months instead of 3 months just to put off the cost they might incur to offer you the benefits package.

15. Practices will offer you higher salary if you are an EFDA. That saves them a lot of money. So, if you are one, bargain for a good deal !

16. If you are not an EFDA, you can still secure a good deal by finding out if they reimburse you for Continuing Education courses that you will have to take every year. Some of my Dental Assistant friends recently took their EFDA exam and our organization reimbursed them the fee that they had paid for the exam.

17. If they like you as a candidate, at the end of your first day they might call you in for a second day of "working interview". You will be able to show them your skills on that day. That will be a good indication because you will know for sure that you are on their short list.

18. DO NOT try to be over-confident or over-friendly. Just be yourself.

19. Most of the interviewers like candidates that ask questions. That shows that as a candidate you are also interested in them. But remember, DO NOT ask too many irrelevant / redundant questions.

20. You can observe their biohazard disposal and sterilization procedures (without asking too many questions, of course) to see if it is a practice that you would like to be at.

21. One of my friends left a very profitable practice with high pay because they were pushing for root canal treatments and crowns when simple fillings would have worked. She didn't feel comfortable. So, it depends on your ethical values. I am just bringing it up as a point for you to think about and you will set your standards.