Interested in a rewarding career as a dental assistant? Before you get the job, you will have to apply and go through a dental assistant interview. The interview is a great way for both the dentist and the potential dental assistant to learn more about the dentist office and whether they will be happy with one another. Make sure you prepare your answers to common questions and think of some questions you want to ask so you can interview the dentist. After the dentist interviews you, the interview might involve hands-on work. The dentist who is considering hiring you may want to see how you perform certain dental techniques. Remember your training and stay positive, ace that dental assistant interview.

Tell me about yourself

This is a standard first question for most interviews, including dental assistant interviews. Focus on your school and prior work experience and take this opportunity to explain what you can add to the dentist’s office. Are you a hard-working, team player, and/or passionate about the dental field? Explain what you bring to the dental office in a few sentences and get off to a good start with the dentist.

What do you enjoy the most about being a dental assistant?

Enjoy supporting a dentist or working with a team? Like the balance of helping patients and doing office administrative tasks? Prefer greeting patients, scheduling appointments and processing billing? Be honest about what you like as long as you like working as a dental assistant. Your feedback will determine whether you are good for clinical and/or clerical duties.

What are your weaknesses?

Always make sure you answer this question positively. You tend to get carried away and forget to take proper breaks or you want to make sure the job is complete so sometimes you work overtime. Find something that may be seen as a negative for you but that would be a positive attribute for the dentist’s office.

What are your strengths?

Take this time to explain why you are the best fit for the dentist’s office. Prepare a few bullet points about strengths and try to tell a story about one of the strengths and how it helped you in the past with a dental situation.

What is your aptitude for computers?

Most dentist’s offices will have some type of appointment software, billing interface and correspondence creation. The dental assistant should be very familiar with Microsoft Office and be ready to learn new computer applications.

Do you like working with patients or clerical duties?

This may decide what role you play at the dentist’s office. Although dental assistants that help patients may do some clerical work, in a bigger dentist’s office, roles will be assigned in one specific discipline. Make sure you know which role is open at the dentist’s office to make sure you are going to be happy with the role, whether clinical and/or clerical.

How much experience do you have as a dental assistant?

If you just graduated, make sure to show how passionate you are about being a dental assistant. Discuss your training from school and any externship experience you may have. Let the interviewer know if you have any administrative or customer service experience as these are skills you will need to be a successful dental assistant.

What is your oral hygiene routine?

This is a common question that all dentists ask dental assistants. The dentist wants to make sure you are able to educate patients in proper oral hygiene. It is also good to practice what you preach, so take the time to properly brush and floss showing good hygiene.

Are you willing to work evening and weekends?

Answer this one honestly as some positions will be at dentist’s offices that are open during normal business hours and other positions may be at emergency dental facilities that will need dental assistants to work evenings and weekends.

Final Thoughts

Do your homework before interviewing at a dental office. Make sure to know about the dentist and their background. Understand the philosophy of the dentist and make sure you agree before taking on a job as a dental assistant. Prepare your answers but don’t memorize them. It is better to have a list of bullet points rather than recite a prepared answer. You want to sound more spontaneous and show you can think on your feet for the interview. Also, create a list of thoughtful questions you want to ask the dentist. This will show them that you prepared for the interview and are interested in the position.

Are you ready to learn more about how to become a dental assistant?  The Dental Assistant training program at Meridian College provides extensive hands-on training including a school externship at a dental office where you will assist the dentist in treating actual patients.

Contact Meridian College today to learn more about becoming a dental assistant.