Oral Surgery Assistant Job Description, Skills, and Salary
Are you searching for an oral surgery assistant job description? Get to know about the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills requirements of an oral surgery assistant. Feel free to use our oral surgery assistant job description template to produce your own oral surgery assistant job description. We also provide you with information about the salary you can earn as an oral surgery assistant.
Who is an Oral Surgery Assistant?
An oral surgery assistant is a professional who assists oral surgeons and dentists with surgery and oral procedures such as X-rays and examinations. Oral surgeons can perform any type of surgery involving the face. Oral surgery assistants are responsible for assisting oral surgeons before, during, and after oral surgery procedures. Oral surgery assistants are also known as oral and maxillofacial surgery assistants.
Despite the fact that they do not perform or assist with any surgical procedures, oral surgery assistants are critical to the success of operations because they allow the surgeon to focus on the procedure at hand rather than trying to multitask by looking for supplies or monitoring blood pressure or heart rate. The majority of oral surgery assistants begin their careers as dental assistants.
For employment as an oral surgery assistant, a high school diploma or its equivalent is required. A candidate for this position typically needs an associate’s degree from a technical or vocational school, as well as clinical experience. You must have and keep one or more state certifications to work as an oral surgery assistant. An oral surgery assistant typically works in a clinical setting during regular business hours.
Oral Surgery Assistant Job Description
What is an oral surgery assistant job description? An oral surgery assistant job description is simply a list of duties and responsibilities of an oral surgery assistant in an organization. Below are the oral surgery assistant job description examples you can use to develop your resume or write an oral surgery assistant job description for your employee. Employers can also use it to sieve out job seekers when choosing candidates for interviews.
The duties and responsibilities of oral surgery Assistant include:
- Complying with health and safety regulations.
- Ensuring that all operating room equipment and surfaces must be cleaned, sterilized, and disinfected.
- Ensuring that during surgery, vital signs such as the patient’s heart rate, respiration rate, blood pressure, and level of pain are monitored.
- Ensuring that surgeons use the proper tools and supplies during surgeries.
- Creating radiographs and diagnosing conditions using X-ray and 3D scanning equipment.
- Organizing patient education about procedures and post-operative care.
- Ensuring that treatment plans, X-rays, dental impressions or casts, and other notes are added to patient records.
- Completing administrative tasks such as appointment scheduling, charting, and filing.
- Assisting with suction, taking notes, and changing instruments as needed during surgery.
- Preparing patients for procedures such as administering anesthesia and documenting patient data after procedures.
- Taking digital pictures of wounds to track healing, holding the patient’s hands, or verbally encouraging them to feel comfortable during the procedure.
- Handling clinical note transcription between a doctor and a patient, x-ray interpretation by a doctor, and other test results.
- Using tools such as forceps or drills to assist the dentist with tooth extraction.
Qualifications
To be the best fit for this job role, you need to have the following qualifications:
- Associate’s degree in surgical technology.
- Certification as an assistant in oral and maxillofacial surgery.
- Radiography certification.
- At least one month of experience assisting with oral surgery.
- A thorough understanding of surgical materials, tools, and equipment.
- A thorough understanding of chairside responsibilities, safety procedures, and surgical techniques.
- Ability to organize inventory, ensure supplies are readily available when needed, and place replacement supply orders.
- Thorough understanding of dental charts, records, and documentation.
- Excellent time and project management abilities.
- Exceptional verbal and written communication skills.
- The ability to provide superior patient care in the face of adversity.
Essential Skills
Oral surgery assistants must have the following skills to be successful in their jobs:
- Dexterity:
Assistants to oral surgeons frequently have limited space to move around and work on a specific area of the body. Dexterity is a necessary skill when working with precise tools and instruments.
- Clinical Procedures:
These are the abilities and knowledge needed to complete a medical procedure. Oral surgery assistants must understand how to prepare for surgery, what tools and supplies are needed, and how to handle any complications that may arise during treatment. Strong clinical skills can help to develop an effective oral surgery assistant who is knowledgeable about the procedure and can ensure patient safety throughout treatment.
- Time management:
There are numerous tasks that oral surgery assistants must frequently complete in a short amount of time. To ensure that you complete all of your obligations, you must prioritize tasks and manage your time effectively. This will increase your effectiveness and allow you to work more effectively with your oral surgeon.
- Technology:
In order to input patient data, make appointments, and send emails, this position requires basic computer skills. As a result, oral surgery assistants should be familiar with common software programs such as Microsoft Word and Excel in order to perform simple administrative tasks.
- Patient Education:
Patient education is an important skill for oral surgery assistants to have because it allows them to educate patients about the procedure they are about to undergo. As a result, patients may feel more at ease and in control of their decision to receive treatment, potentially improving their overall experience. Patient education also includes teaching patients how to care for themselves after the procedure in order to promote proper healing.
- Empathy:
As an oral surgery assistant, empathy will help you interact more effectively with patients and their families. Empathy can be used to put patients at ease and make them feel more relaxed both before and after procedures.
- Listening Abilities:
Oral surgery assistants must listen to patients and other medical professionals in order to accurately follow instructions and assist with patient care.
- Competence in Interpersonal Relationships:
Interpersonal skills refer to the ability to work effectively in groups and communicate effectively. Because they frequently collaborate closely, communication between oral surgery assistants and their supervising dentist is critical. They must be good team players because they may assist several dentists on a single day at work.
- Communication Abilities:
Excellent communication skills will also allow you to explain a procedure to a patient in layman’s terms and relay critical information to the surgeon. It is critical to relax the patient and make them feel at ease. Moreso, qualified oral surgeon assistants use active listening to identify and address patient concerns.
- Detail-oriented Observation:
Oral surgery assistants keep the patient’s mouth clean, assist with suction, and monitor the anesthesia during the procedure so that the surgeon can work quickly. They also record the procedure, monitor the patient’s vitals, and take notes. Paying close attention to the details can assist you as an oral surgery assistant in ensuring the patient’s safety, warning the surgeon of any potential complications, and accurately recording the patient’s vitals.
- Teamwork:
An oral surgery assistant frequently works alongside a team of medical experts, including surgeons, dentists, and other assistants. They must be able to effectively collaborate with others in order for the procedures in which they are involved to be successful.
- Ability to organize:
Oral surgery assistants set up the operating room, as well as the tools that the dentist or oral surgeon will use. Being organized can help the dentist or oral surgeon find the instruments they need and facilitate a smooth process.
- Computer knowledge
Oral surgery assistants are frequently assigned administrative tasks such as maintaining inventory records and updating dental charts. Excellent computer skills can make it easier to use various programs and keep records up to date.
- Flexibility:
Any day of the week, any hour of the day and any holiday may necessitate the employment of an oral surgery assistant. They may also be asked to work overtime or fill in for another assistant. If you can be flexible with your schedule, it may be easier to find and keep work.
- Patience:
Being patient is a skill that can help you succeed as an oral surgery assistant. You may have to wait for your employer to finish procedures as well as for patients to be well enough to return to work or school. Being patient can help you maintain a positive attitude at work and support patients who are experiencing difficulties.
- Multitasking Ability:
An oral surgery assistant’s responsibilities are diverse. They clean and sanitize tools and equipment in addition to assisting patients in dental chairs and oral surgeons during procedures. Multitasking is required for all of the tasks that these oral surgery assistants must complete.
How to Become an Oral Surgery Assistant
A career as an oral surgery assistant can be a great way to break into the medical field. Follow these steps to work as an assistant for an oral surgeon:
- Obtain a General education degree or a high school diploma
You must first obtain your high school diploma or general education degree (GED) in order to work as an oral surgery assistant. Concentrate on doing well in your math and science classes to ensure your success. These skills will be useful when you are ready to enroll in dental programs or continue your education after high school.
- Earn a degree
Many oral surgery assistants decide to pursue an associate’s, bachelor’s, or specialized training after high school. If you want to work as an oral surgery assistant, you must have an associate’s degree from an accredited surgical technology program. Consider starting your career by enrolling in a Commission on Dental Accreditation-approved dental assistant training program (CODA).
Dental assistant programs with both academic and practical training can be found at universities, community colleges, dental schools, and vocational schools. If you enroll full-time, you might be able to complete an accredited dental assistant program in less than a year. Among the topics covered in the coursework for oral surgery assistants are physician assistant training, dental hygiene, infection control, surgical technology, dental radiology, expanded dental assisting functions, post-surgery procedures, and surgical chairside assistance.
- Become licensed
To work as an oral surgery assistant, you may need to pass a state-certified exam, such as the dental anesthesia assistant National Certification Examination. Some states also require additional certifications before you can work as an oral surgeon assistant. You can contact the Dental Assisting National Board to learn more about the specific requirements in your state. Additional certifications you may need include CPR, X-ray, basic life support, and advanced cardiovascular life support.
In the event of surgical complications, these credentials prepare oral surgery assistants to perform life-saving procedures.
- Gain work experience
Your oral surgery career can advance if you gain relevant work experience. Consider starting your career as a dental assistant because many oral surgery positions require prior work experience, preferably in an oral surgery setting.
The vast majority of oral surgery assistants begin their careers as dental assistants. Working as a dental assistant can provide potential oral surgery assistants with the experience they need to advance to positions with greater responsibility later in their careers. This position can help you prepare by providing you with hands-on experience with surgical tools, a better understanding of surgical procedures, and practice providing patient care.
- Apply for jobs
When you’re ready to apply for jobs, create a strong resume that highlights your skills and achievements to impress potential employers. Include on your resume all of your formal education, relevant work experience, state licenses, and certifications.
After fine-tuning your resume, use search engines to find oral surgeon assistant positions that match your preferred location, skill set, and qualifications. You can also contact any professional contacts you made during your training or in jobs related to your field to see if they are aware of any practices that are currently hiring oral surgeon assistants. If one of your professional contacts recommends you to a potential employer, it can help you stand out from the crowd.
- Continue Your Education
As an oral surgery assistant, there is always room for advancement and learning. By continuing your education, you can ensure that you are up to date on the most recent practices, laws, and technologies. You can learn new skills and improve your current ones by taking advantage of opportunities for continuing education. Advanced oral surgery assisting courses are available at colleges, universities, and professional associations such as the American Dental Assistants Association.
Where to Work as an Oral Surgery Assistant
Oral surgery assistants are frequently employed in a dentist’s office, clinic, or hospital. They work in close collaboration with dentists, dental hygienists, and oral surgeons.
They typically work a full-time schedule during regular business hours, but they may also be required to be available on call in the event of an emergency.
Oral Surgery Assistant Salary
The pay for an oral surgery assistant and related positions can vary depending on years of experience, credentials, and specialties.
According to salary.com, the average salary for an oral surgery assistant in the United States is $37,404, but the salary range typically ranges from $33,173 to $41,501.
Benefits for this position typically include health insurance, life insurance, financial assistance for professional growth, and employee discounts.