Dental assistants perform a variety of patient care, office and laboratory duties.
They work at chairside as dentists examine and treat patients. They make patients as comfortable as possible in the dental chair, prepare them for treatment, and obtain dental records. Assistants hand dentists the equipment, and also sterilize it and other instruments. Some assistants may take and develop dental radiographs, and make impressions of patients' teeth for study casts. Dental offices are interesting, pleasant, people-oriented environments in which to work.