How To Become A Lead Dental Assistant: What It Is and Career Path

What is a lead dental assistant and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted Experts

Aaron Benitez CDA, RDA, RDHAP, MSDH,

Carol Donohue

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a lead dental assistant. For example, did you know that they make an average of $19.85 an hour? That's $41,290 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 8% and produce 30,100 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a Lead Dental Assistant?

Aaron Benitez CDA, RDA, RDHAP, MSDH

Dental Assisting Faculty, Articulation Officer, Website

In California, it is an exciting time to be a Dental Assistant. The industry has been gradually adding more technologically advanced procedures like 3-D printing, intra-oral scanning, along with Artificial Intelligence (AI) assistance. A Dental Assistant needs to possess the traditional knowledge to be able to learn these new advanced procedures. In order to make themselves more competitive, the Dental Assistant must possess the knowledge and hands-on experience of these new procedures.
Also, since in California the minimum wage is increasing beyond the amount that a starting Dental Assistant could potentially earn, learning new advanced techniques is more relevant.

ScoreLead Dental AssistantUS Average

Salary

3.2

Avg. Salary $41,290

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

6.8

Growth Rate 8%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.7

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.78%

Asian 8.03%

Black or African American 8.53%

Hispanic or Latino 24.66%

Unknown 5.12%

White 52.88%

Gender

female 90.77%

male 9.23%

Age - 36

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 36

Stress Level

6.8

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

6.4

Complexity Level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

10.0

Work Life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Newest jobs for Lead Dental Assistant in Columbus, OH

Receive alerts for the newest job postings.

Key steps to become a lead dental assistant

Explore lead dental assistant education requirements

Most common lead dental assistant degrees

Associate

24.4 %

Certificate

23.3 %

Diploma

19.7 %

Start to develop specific lead dental assistant skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	25.49%
Infection Control	6.86%
Patient Care	5.29%
OSHA	5.16%
Dental Procedures	4.46%

Complete relevant lead dental assistant training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New lead dental assistants learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a lead dental assistant based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real lead dental assistant resumes.

Gain additional lead dental assistant certifications

Lead dental assistant certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific lead dental assistant certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for lead dental assistants include Dental Assistant (RDA) and Certified Dental Technician.

More About Certifications

Research lead dental assistant duties and responsibilities

Provide oral care instruction to patients according to surgery or alternate dental procedures.
Provide exceptional oral hygiene care under supervision to a variety of patients in addition to assign clerical duties.
Certify as an instructor for CPR.
Demonstrate compliance in coordinating CPR training for staff.

Get lead dental assistant experience

Generally, it takes 1-2 years to become a lead dental assistant. The most common roles before becoming a lead dental assistant include dental assistant, dental assistant/receptionist team lead and cashier.

Prepare your lead dental assistant resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your lead dental assistant resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a lead dental assistant resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Lead Dental Assistant Resume templates

Build a professional Lead Dental Assistant resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Lead Dental Assistant resume.

Apply for lead dental assistant jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a lead dental assistant job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do lead dental assistants rate their job?

5/5

Based On 1 Ratings

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Lead Dental Assistant reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2022

Cons

You have to be an A+ at all times, you have no room for error, none at all!!! Absolutely none!!!

5.0

A zippia user wrote a review on May 2019

Pros

That I get teach and develop further dental assistant make them the best efda ever