If you are thinking that being a dental assistant is only about passing the useful tools to the dentist then you are absolutely wrong! There are a number of tasks that a dental assistant needs to perform on daily basis and to perform them efficiently and effectively he needs to possess some important personality traits. The 5 main personality traits that are expected in every dental assistant include:
Consistency
Consistency is known to be one of the things that your employer or a dentist would look in you. A dentist needs to hire a consistent dental assistant who would be able to help him in almost every task related to dentistry. If you are not consistent then you will not be able to keep your job for long. It is important for a dental assistant to work with accuracy and preciseness.
Seriousness
Dental assistants need to show professionalism as well as seriousness towards their work because they have to deal with other staff members as well as the patients and their families. If they are not serious towards their work then it will be very difficult for them to cope with it as the job of a dental assistant is a lot more than just passing tools to the dentist. They need to console and encourage the patients who have a fear of visiting dentist. Moreover, they need to be patient and should have the ability to handle almost every situation. All these things are impossible without seriousness or professionalism towards their work.
Interpersonal Skills
A dental assistant needs to have strong interpersonal skills. This is important because a dental assistant has to deal with other staff members in the office as well as with the patients and their families on daily basis. For all this he needs to have strong interpersonal skills. It is also important because he needs to carry a whole lot of tasks regarding the appointments, dental care as well as the payments by the patients.
Learning New Things Quickly
If you want to be a good dental assistant then you have to be a fast learner. This is important because your employer will not want to teach you one thing again and again. Moreover, he will expect that you should learn a whole lot of things on your own. It is important for you to be a fast leaner if you are willing to get a raise from your employer sooner.
Steadiness
It is very important for a dental assistant to show steadiness. Do not be a butter finger because this thing is not going to impress your employer. However, you do not have to do the dental procedure on your own, but you would be passing tools to the dentist and it is very important for you to show agility as well as steadiness while passing the tools to the dentist.
If you have these five personality traits in you then the career of a dental assistant is surely going to be fruitful for you.