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How exposed to AI is a Dental Assistant?

Of the 16 tasks O*NET lists for dental assistants, 0 could be done in half the time with a chat window today. 13 cannot be sped up at all. Here is which.

Exposure means published research judged an AI could halve the time a task takes, at the same quality. It does not mean the task stops needing a person. How to read this

Also called
Certified Dental Assistant (CDA)Certified Registered Dental AssistantDental Assistant (DA)Expanded Dental AssistantExpanded Duty Dental Assistant (EDDA)Expanded Functions Dental Assistant (EFDA)Oral Surgery AssistantOrthodontic Assistant (Ortho Assistant)Registered Dental Assistant (RDA)Surgical Dental Assistant
Reachable today Needs software built first Cannot be sped up
16
tasks rated for this occupation
0%
hold a degree, from a survey of 23
347k
people do this job in the US
11 of 19
least protected in healthcare support

Every task, and what AI can do with it

These are O*NET's task statements for this occupation, exactly as written, sorted into the three bands by the ratings behind this report. Nothing has been reworded.

Only with software built on top

3
  • Record treatment information in patient records
  • Take and record medical and dental histories and vital signs of patients
  • Schedule appointments, prepare bills and receive payment for dental services, complete insurance forms, and maintain records, manually or using computer

Cannot be sped up

13
  • Prepare patient, sterilize or disinfect instruments, set up instrument trays, prepare materials, or assist dentist during dental procedures
  • Assist dentist in management of medical or dental emergencies
  • Order and monitor dental supplies and equipment inventory
  • Expose dental diagnostic x-rays
  • Provide postoperative instructions prescribed by dentist
  • Instruct patients in oral hygiene and plaque control programs
  • Apply protective coating of fluoride to teeth
  • Make preliminary impressions for study casts and occlusal registrations for mounting study casts
  • Pour, trim, and polish study casts
  • Fabricate temporary restorations or custom impressions from preliminary impressions
  • Clean and polish removable appliances
  • Clean teeth, using dental instruments
  • Fabricate and fit orthodontic appliances and materials for patients, such as retainers, wires, or bands
What this does not say

This is not a prediction about your job

Nobody surveyed an employer. Tasks are counted equally, so a percentage here is a share of the list rather than a share of your week. And the ratings were made in 2023, which makes every figure a floor rather than a ceiling.

It must never be used to select anyone for redundancy. The full limits are here.

Where to go next

This is the standard task list for the title. The useful next question is which of the tasks you actually do should go near AI, and which should not.

Sort your own tasks Read the full report

Exposure ratings from Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin and Rock, GPTs are GPTs: Labor market impact potential of LLMs, Science 384, 1306–1308, 2024, used under the MIT licence. This page includes information from the O*NET Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. People Team AI has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Employment figures from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.