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Dental Assistant resume skills and keywords

In 114 Dental Assistant job postings from 21 employers analysed on October 23, 2026, the most requested skills are Communication (82 %), Infection control (64 %), Patient care (56 %), OSHA (43 %) and Compassion (35 %). Of the top 40 skills, 27 are hard skills, tools or certifications and 13 are soft skills.

Download the full list as a CSV or check your own resume against a posting with the free keyword scanner.

Top 40 skills in Dental Assistant job postings

Skills requested in 114 Dental Assistant job postings, by share of postings
SkillShare of postingsType
Communication82 %Soft skill
Infection control64 %Hard skill
Patient care56 %Hard skill
OSHA43 %Certification
Compassion35 %Soft skill
Attention to detail27 %Soft skill
BLS24 %Certification
CPR24 %Certification
Patient education24 %Hard skill
Interpersonal skills18 %Soft skill
Dental Software18 %Tool
Charting18 %Hard skill
Collaboration14 %Soft skill
Clinical Procedures13 %Hard skill
Teamwork13 %Soft skill
Pediatric13 %Hard skill
Compassionate Care13 %Hard skill
Problem Solving13 %Soft skill
Interpersonal Communication13 %Soft skill
Sanitizing13 %Hard skill
Chairside Assistance11 %Hard skill
Flexibility11 %Soft skill
Dentrix11 %Tool
Vital signs11 %Hard skill
EHR10 %Tool
Endodontics10 %Hard skill
Extractions10 %Hard skill
Inventory management9 %Hard skill
Microsoft Office9 %Tool
Time Management8 %Soft skill
Patient-Centered Care8 %Hard skill
Patient Communication7 %Soft skill
Supply inventory7 %Hard skill
PPE7 %Hard skill
Organizational skills7 %Soft skill
Empathy7 %Soft skill
Payroll7 %Hard skill
Continuous learning7 %Hard skill
Scheduling appointments7 %Hard skill
Treatment planning6 %Hard skill

Hard skills vs soft skills vs tools and certifications

Hard skills (20)

Soft skills (13)

Tools and software (4)

Certifications and licenses (3)

Keyword phrases recruiters use

Multi-word phrases that recur across these dental assistant postings, with the share of postings that use each one.

oral hygiene 54 %educate patients 47 %patient focused 35 %feel comfortable 31 %sterilizing instruments 31 %exceptional patient 29 %treatment rooms 29 %edge technology 27 %infection control protocols 24 %why youll 23 %delivering exceptional 23 %treatment plans 22 %patient flow 21 %current cpr 21 %patient records 20 %

How to use this on your resume

Treat the table as a checklist, not a script. Put the skills you genuinely have in your skills section, using the same wording as the posting, and back the top ones with a bullet that shows the result.

Each job posting differs from the average, so compare your resume with the actual ad: paste it into the resume keyword scanner to see which terms you already have and which are missing. The ATS keywords guide explains where to place them so applicant tracking systems read them.

Skip any skill you cannot talk about in an interview; a keyword that falls apart under one question costs more than it gains. For a full layout with these skills in context, see the Dental Assistant resume example. Then prepare for the Dental Assistant interview questions that test them.

Build a dental assistant resume with these skills

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Dental Assistant resume skills: FAQ

Which skills matter most for a Dental Assistant resume?

In 114 Dental Assistant job postings analysed on October 23, 2026, the most requested skills were Communication (82 %), Infection control (64 %), Patient care (56 %), OSHA (43 %) and Compassion (35 %). Lead your skills section with the ones you can back up, and show them in your experience bullets too.

Should I list soft skills on a Dental Assistant resume?

Yes, but prove them rather than list them. 13 of the top 40 skills in these postings are soft skills, led by Communication (82 % of postings). Show them through results in your bullets, for example a project you coordinated or a process you explained.

Which tools and certifications do Dental Assistant postings ask for?

The tools and certifications named most often were OSHA (43 %), BLS (24 %), CPR (24 %), Dental Software (18 %), Dentrix (11 %) and EHR (10 %). List the ones you have exactly as the posting writes them.

Where does this data come from?

From 114 public Dental Assistant job postings at 21 employers, collected on October 23, 2026 from Greenhouse (69), Lever (37) and Ashby (8). A skill's share is the number of postings that mention it divided by 114. The data is updated quarterly and can be downloaded as a CSV.

Method and data

Source: 114 public job postings for dental assistant roles (titles such as Dental Assistant, Licensed Dental Assistant, Surgical Dental Assistant and Relief Dental Assistant) at 21 employers, collected on October 23, 2026 from employer applicant tracking system job boards: Greenhouse 69, Lever 37 and Ashby 8. Employers in the sample include Specialty Dental Brands, Comprehensive Mobile Care, Elite Dental Partners, 42 North Dental, Dental365 and Willamette Dental. A skill's share is the number of postings that mention it divided by 114. Updated quarterly. Download the data: dental-assistant-resume-skills.csv (CC BY 4.0). Browse skills for other roles.