You are the dentist’s second pair of eyes and hands—you are basically half a dentist. Floss and polish your dental assistant cover letter with our expert hints.
When practicing four handed dentistry—motion economy is important. Not wasting energy and making unnecessary, inefficient movements.
Writing a cover letter for dental assistant positions, you want to exercise the same thought and caution. Our guide will show you which motions are the most effective, and which ones to cut down on to make the best of your chances.
In this guide:
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First, let’s see two dental assistant cover letter samples. Notice how they follow a certain pattern, and let’s build yours on this foundation.
The first one comes from Rebecca. She is applying for a position which requires experience in four handed dentistry, taking and developing x-rays, as well as preparing and maintaining treatment rooms.
She has previous experience and her cover letter makes best use out of her metrics and achievements to underline she can step up to what they’re looking for. Here’s her dental assistant cover letter sample:
Text version
Rebecca Moltisanti
2668 Weekley Street
San Antonio, TX 78212
210-378-7541
rebecca@molti.com
San Antonio, Oct 3, 2019
Stephen L. Gould
Dentistry Practice Owner
Gould Dentists
1 Main Avenue
San Antonio, TX 78212
Dear Stephen,
I noticed the job posting for a dental assistant in the window of your clinic, and I was strongly driven to apply instantly. As a dental assistant with 4+ years’ experience and certifications in four handed dentistry, I believe I have the skills to be the second pair of eyes and hands of a dentist as excellent as yourself.
You wrote that you are searching for an employee who will not require extensive training, that is already experienced and proven. I hold an Associate’s degree in Dental Assisting from University of Alaska Anchorage, where I graduated with a 3.8 GPA. Later, I got certified with the DANB all the way to Certified Orthodontic Assisting level, meaning I have passed exams in Radiation Health and Safety, Infection Control, and advanced four-handed dentistry. In my current position as an assistant at Bergman Dentistry, I practice four-handed dentistry with Dr. Selleck for up to 20 appointments a day, ranging from 15 to 120 minutes. By developing efficient preparation and cleanup protocols, I have managed to cut downtime between appointments by almost half. This allowed me and the dentist to use this time to rest, and provide a safe and efficient treatment afterwards, instead of scrambling and rushing from one patient to the next. We have also cut down the average time taken for bridges and implants by around 15%, or 12 minutes. I believe I am the dynamic candidate you are looking for to combine with your tenured expertize.
The reason why I am so excited about applying to work at Gould Dentists is that I know how much time you commit to employee development. You pride yourself on being among the best, and I really respect that you are willing to bring all your employees up to your high standards. This is why I believe that assuming the position of your dental assistant is the perfect opportunity for me.
When could we connect to talk about how I can help you incorporate more efficient preparation and cleanup protocols to save your valuable time?
Best Regards,
Rebecca Moltisanti
210-378-7541
rebecca@molti.com
PS I'm also eager to tell you about how I kept my X-ray error rate below 3%.
You know Rebecca is going to suction that job right up.
Is this a little overwhelming? Worried, because you don’t have as much experience? You don’t have to be. Here’s a sample cover letter for dental assistant with no experience.
Jack is applying to be an entry-level dental assistant. He is freshly certified, but has no relevant work experience—only that from his course. The job is a pretty entry-level job with basic patient preparation, chairside assistance and record keeping duties. Here’s his dental assistant cover letter.
Text version
Jack Henry
3764 Blair Court
San Antonio, TX 78212
660-593-8967
jack@henry.com
San Antonio, Oct 3, 2019
Stephen L. Gould
Dentistry Practice Owner
Gould Dentists
1 Main Avenue
San Antonio, TX 78212
Dear Stephen,
I was excited to spot an opening for a Dental Assistant Trainee at Gould Dentists. As a freshly graduated National Entry Level Dental Assistant (NELDA) with previous clerical experience as a clerk at the Township Council, I am prepared to face all the aspects of the role.
You describe searching for a dental assistant that will take care of patient preparation, chairside assistance and record keeping duties. In my previous position as a clerk, I have acquired filing, file management and billing skills, dealing with over 150 inquiries and requests a day. I have managed to reorganize the most commonly sourced files and cut down the backed-up log from 250 cases to 0 over a period of 3 weeks. During my dental assistant certification, I have accrued over 20 chairside hours and passed theoretical and practical modules in patient preparation—I have been commended by the teaching dentist for attention to detail and picking up rapidly during my chairside hours. I also have proven theoretical x-ray imaging knowledge from passing my Radiation Health and Safety component. I have all the necessary prerequisites to make a great dental assistant trainee at Gould, both in the chair and behind the front desk.
When inquiring about the position with your staff, they were kind enough to share some stories—most of them had a lot to say about how fast they progressed and developed, and that some of them started from this position, and are now extremely qualified and respected professionals in all aspects of the dental craft. I am young and hungry to grow, so I would make the best of this opportunity if you were kind enough to offer it to me.
Perhaps we could arrange a call or an interview to discuss how my experience as a clerk can help you solve any filing issues you have before I jump in the chair?
Best Regards,
Jack Henry
660-593-8967
jack@henry.com
These two dental assistant cover letters shine with competence like a set of pearly with a fresh coat of carbamide peroxide.
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Now let’s get to writing your own cover letter for dental assistant jobs.
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Here’s how to write a job-winning dental assistant cover letter:
This isn’t that different from four-handed dentistry. Once you have all tools ready and within reach before you start, the easier and less painful the operation will be.
Many times, reading resumes and cover letters can be like pulling teeth for the person hiring. You want the reading of your dental assistant cover letter to be easy, fast and clean.
Here are our cover letter format tips:
Let’s now think about what to include in your cover letter.
You don’t want to have person reading your dental assistant cover letter have to flip pages if they decide to give you a shot. For this reason, put down the same information in the header of your cover letter as your resume header.
Enter your contact details—many people skip the address entirely now, but never skip the email or phone number. Underneath, enter a space and put down the city and date, and below it, put down the details of the person you are writing your dental assistant cover letter to. Check that you have everything:
[ Your Full Name]
[ Your Job Title ] (Optional)
[ Address ]
[ Phone Number ]
[ Email Address ]
[ LinkedIn Profile ] (Optional)
[ City and Date ]
[ Hiring Manager’s Full Name ]
[ Hiring Manager’s Position ]
[ Company Name ]
[ Company Street Address ]
[ City and Zip Code ]
Expert Hint: Need to get certified? Got your dental assistant certs, but want to rank up to hygienist soon? The Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) is responsible for accrediting courses—only those are good enough to put on your dental assistant cover letter, and your dental assistant resume. You can find a legitimate program near you using CODA’s search for dental programs.
Once someone picks up your dental assistant cover letter, make sure they know they have the right patient in the chair. First of all, show initiative and that you’ve done your research by addressing your cover letter by first name. If it’s unclear who’s dealing with recruitment, just call them up and ask.
At the start of your cover letter, say which position you’re applying for, and right away drop a good reason why they should keep on reading—an achievement, or something that will set you apart from the rest.
Feel free to fill the [blanks] of this dental assistant cover letter sample.
Dear [Hiring Manager’s Name]:
Once I spotted that you’re searching for a Dental Assistant at [Target Practice Name], I was excited. As a [Dental Assistant/Previous Position Title] with [number of years]+years of experience, I have excelled at [biggest achievement/very strong relevant skills you have]. I have all the necessary skills and training to be your second pair of hands at [Target Practice Name].
Time to apply the fillings. Where are the cavities?
You’re going to have to do a quick examination of the job posting. See what the most important requirements and skills in the job posting are—and explain just how great you are at those in the second paragraph of your dental assistant cover letter. Back it up from numbers and achievements from your resume.
See this paragraph from one of our sample cover letters for dental assistants:
Your job posting calls for a Dental Assistant skilled in [refer to the requirements of the job]. At [Name of Your Previous Employer], I have gained extensive experience in [relevant responsibilities, duties, or projects you’ve successfully completed, supported by metrics, if possible]. My expertize in [four-handed dentistry/managing files/x-ray imaging/other important requirement] equips me perfectly to succeed in this position.
Your dental assistant cover letter is gleaming with skills, achievements, and reasons to hire you. The only thing they don’t yet know is why you chose to apply there.
Research some things about this particular practice, and find something that will show you have taken the time to find out what they are about. Just like this example:
[Target Employer Name] caught my attention when I found out that you devote so much of your time and energy to [something you genuinely admire about the company/values/way of working]. This is especially important to me on a personal level, as I think that […]. For this reason, I believe we will have a great working relationship if I were to become the Dental Assistant at [Target Employer Name].
When writing a cover letter for dental assistant jobs, you will have a lot of competition. A lot of them will ‘Hope to hear’ and ‘Look forward to hearing’ from the employer. Let them hope.
When signing off your cover letter—Explicitly ask for a call or a meeting. See how it should be done:
When could we set up a meeting or a call to discuss how my [your best, most relevant skill/experience/their most important requirement] can help [Target Employer Name] achieve [something important to this employer]?
Best regards,
[Digital Copy of Your Handwritten Signature]
[Your Full Name]
[Phone Number]
[Email Address]
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As your write a cover letter for dental assistant positions, remember to:
Do you have any more questions about writing a cover letter for dental assistant jobs? Did you find our dental assistant cover letter examples helpful? Leave us a comment, I’ll be more than happy to hear from you!
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