Lead Dental Assistant

About the Role

A growing private dental practice in the Atlanta metro area is looking for an experienced Lead Dental Assistant who knows how to keep a busy clinical day moving.

We're looking for someone who thinks ahead.

You should be the type of person who looks at the schedule and starts preparing before you're asked. You notice when a room isn't ready, supplies are getting low, another assistant needs direction, or something is about to slow the doctor down, and you take action.

You'll still work directly with patients and assist clinically, but you'll also help lead the dental assisting team and keep the clinical side of the practice organized.

What You'll Do

Keep the Clinical Day Moving

• Review the schedule and prepare for the day's procedures before patient care begins.
• Make sure rooms, instruments, materials, lab cases, and supplies are ready before they're needed.
• Anticipate what the doctor will need throughout the day.
• Help keep the doctor moving efficiently between patients and operatories.
• Coordinate room turnover and assistant coverage.
• Adjust quickly when patients cancel, arrive late, treatment changes, or the schedule shifts.
• Participate in the morning huddle and communicate anything that could affect the clinical schedule.
• Help the team prepare for same-day treatment when the doctor determines treatment is appropriate and time is available.

Lead the Dental Assisting Team

• Help organize the dental assistants and assign responsibilities based on the day's needs.
• Set clear expectations for room readiness, sterilization, documentation, patient handoffs, and turnover.
• Coach assistants when something needs to be corrected.
• Help train and onboard dental assistants.
• Communicate repeated performance or training concerns to management.
• Lead by example and help create a team that moves with purpose, communicates, and helps one another.
• Hold yourself and the assisting team to a high standard of professionalism and patient care.

Patient Care & Handoffs

• Help patients feel comfortable, informed, and cared for throughout their visit.
• Reinforce treatment and next steps after the doctor has discussed them with the patient.
• Make sure the appropriate team member knows what the patient needs next before the patient leaves.
• Help prevent patients from leaving without a clear next step.
• Make sure required clinical notes, imaging, documentation, and handoffs are completed.
• Communicate available clinical capacity when there may be an opportunity to complete additional treatment the same day.

Clinical Readiness

• Keep operatories organized and ready for patient care.
• Make sure sterilization stays on track throughout the day.
• Monitor clinical supplies and communicate what needs to be ordered before supplies run out.
• Report equipment problems quickly.
• Help maintain infection-control, OSHA, HIPAA, and practice standards.
• Help make sure the clinical area is ready for both today's patients and the next clinical day.

What We're Looking For

• Dental assisting experience required.
• Lead Dental Assistant or senior dental assisting experience preferred.
• Strong clinical organization and time-management skills.
• Someone who can anticipate what the doctor needs rather than waiting for instructions.
• Comfortable giving direction and helping other assistants improve.
• Able to stay calm and adjust when the schedule changes.
• Strong communication with patients, doctors, and coworkers.
• Knowledge of sterilization and infection-control requirements.
• Reliable, accountable, and willing to take ownership.
• Someone who cares about doing things correctly and efficiently.
• Someone who wants to help improve how a practice operates rather than simply maintain the status quo.

What Success Looks Like

The doctor can move through the clinical day without constantly stopping to solve preventable problems. Rooms are ready. Instruments and materials are available. The assisting team knows what needs to happen. Patient handoffs are clear. Same-day treatment opportunities don't get missed because the clinical team wasn't prepared.

Pay: $20.00 - $25.00 per hour

Application Question(s):

• Have you previously worked as a Lead Dental Assistant, Senior Dental Assistant, or been responsible for directing/training other dental assistants?
• You're assisting the doctor and realize the clinical day is starting to fall behind. No one has asked you to fix it. What would you do?
• One of the dental assistants on your team is repeatedly falling behind on room turnover and it's beginning to slow down the doctor. How would you handle it?
• What is your expected pay rate?

Experience:

• Dental assisting: 3 years (Required)

Work Location: In person