Dental Assistant Interview Questions and Answers

Dental assistants provide dental-office duties. They prepare patients, set up dental equipment for use, and do laboratory work. They are also in charge of patient record-keeping.

This article provides sample interview questions and suggests answers for dental assistants and dental hygienists.

Job Interview Questions and Answers
for Dental Assistants

Question: How would you describe your qualifications as a dental assistant?
Answer: Besides education and specifics of where you worked, you can mention characteristics generally considered favorable: manual dexterity, good interpersonal skills, reliability, etc.

Question: How well do you cope with the many tasks a dental assistant typically has to deal with during an average day?
Answer: This question is meant to test how much actual experience you have. Describe a typical day in some detail and explain how you manage it successfully: you are quick and always focused, you know the routine and have things ready beforehand or immediately when the patient comes in, etc.

Question: How well do you get along with other people?
Answer: Interpersonal skills are important for a dental assistant. Dental assistants are able to cooperate efficiently with the doctor and make the patient feel comfortable and safe while they prepare them for treatment or instruct them in dental matters.

Question: Describe some typical tasks that you are able to perform as a dental assistant.
Answer: Expose x-rays for diagnosis, keep medical histories and records of vital-signs, keep dental appliances clean, polished, and in order, make schedules of appointments, etc.

Question: What one characteristic would you say is most important for the job?
Answer: You are not actually expected to find the one single most important characteristic. Just take a moment to think about it and give a thoughtful answer based on your experience. One way to answer this question is to mention multi-tasking ability; it is important because it implies the ability to do all of the abovementioned tasks simultaneously and effectively.