Dental assistant
Dental assistant
Also known as
Dental surgery assistant, orthodontic auxiliary
AUT programmes
Work environment
- Usually work regular business hours but may work nights and weekends
- Usually work in dental surgeries, hospitals, private dental practices and community health centres
- May work in noisy conditions
- Need to be organised, accurate and methodical
Typical tasks
- Clean medical equipment
- Prepare medical instruments or equipment for use
- Assist practitioners to perform medical procedures
- Maintain medical records
- Inventory medical supplies or equipment
- Operate medical equipment
- Explain technical medical information to patients
- Teach medical procedures or medical equipment use to patients
- Interview patients to gather medical information
- Record vital statistics or other health information
Salary information
| Lower | Most common | Upper |
| $70K | $73.5K-$80.6K | $84.2K |
Tips from AUT graduates
Professional registration
Dental Council of New Zealand
inquiries@dcnz.org.nz
04 499 4820