How to become a dental assistant: Australian salary & career info

Your path to becoming a dental assistant in Australia starts here

Walk into any dental practice in Australia and you’ll see the dentist getting all the credit whilst someone else does half the work. That someone is the dental assistant, and they’re the reason appointments run on time, patients stay calm and nothing falls apart when things get busy.

Dental assisting isn’t some temporary gig you do whilst figuring out your real career. Nearly 8 out of 10 dental assistants see this as a proper career with long-term prospects, not just a job to pay bills. They’re right to think that way since the work is stable, the pay is decent, and Australia desperately needs more qualified assistants than it can find.

This guide will show you exactly how to become a dental assistant in Australia, including how to get trained, qualified and employed. You’ll learn what the job involves, how much dental assistants get paid, with a table of the salary/wage depending on level, and how to go from complete beginner to working assistant in roughly 12 months.

What is a dental assistant and what do they do?

Dental assistants help dentists with auxiliary tasks so they can focus on fixing teeth rather than looking for instruments or explaining simple procedures to nervous patients. They’re right there chairside handing over tools, suctioning saliva and debris, calming people down when they’re freaking out about needles and keeping everything running whilst the dentist does the technical work.

You’ll mostly find these jobs in private dental practices where people book their regular checkups and get cavities filled. Specialist orthodontic practices hire dental assistants to help with braces and aligners. Oral surgeons need assistants who can handle more intense procedures like wisdom tooth extractions. Some hospital even dental departments employ assistants for patients who need treatment under general anaesthesia.

This can be a good career for you if you’re comfortable getting hands-on with people’s mouths and can multitask when things get hectic. Two-thirds of certified dental assistants and 59% of non-certified assistants say they’re highly satisfied with their jobs, so this can be a very rewarding career if it’s right for you.

Dental assistant duties and responsibilities

Dental assistants are the dentist’s right hand during appointments whilst also running the operational side of keeping the practice functional. Every day is different depending on what procedures are booked and how many emergencies walk through the door, so you’ll need to be prepared for anything. 

This is what dental assistants do most of the time:

• Provide support during procedures: Pass instruments to the dentist at exactly the right time, keep the patient’s mouth clear with suction, mix filling materials and hold things steady so the dentist can work precisely.
• Prep treatment spaces: Sterilise all instruments between patients, lay out the specific tools needed for each procedure and confirm that the treatment room is spotless before anyone sits in the chair.
• Take diagnostics: Take dental X-rays, create impressions of teeth for crowns or dentures and sometimes operate intraoral cameras that show patients what’s happening inside their mouths.
• Look after patients: Welcome people when they arrive, walk them through what’s about to happen so they’re less anxious, give aftercare instructions when they’re done and book their next appointment before they leave.
• Update patient records: Keep patient files current with treatment notes, process insurance claims and payments, answer phones and manage the appointment schedule so the day runs smoothly.

Is the dental assistant role in demand in Australia?

Dental assistants are officially in short supply in Australia. The National Skills Commission added dental assistants to its Skills Priority List as an occupation facing national shortage, which means there aren’t enough people to fill available positions. The government backs this up with financial incentives, as eligible employers can access wage subsidies up to $6,000 yearly for the first two years when they hire apprentices.

Australia has around 25,300 registered dental assistants trying to support an industry that’s expanded massively over the past decade. Between 2013 and 2022, the number of dental practitioners grew by 29%, creating way more practices and treatment chairs that all need assistants to function. 

Demand keeps climbing as more Australians go to the dentist regularly. Just over half of all Australians aged 15 and over visited a dentist in the past year. That means there are millions of appointments happening every year and there’s still potential for millions more as more people visit the dentist regularly.

That’s why job boards are filled to the brim with openings for dental assistant positions. SEEK currently has over 1,000 job openings with more added almost every single day. Once you’re qualified, you won’t struggle to find work whether you’re in a major city or a regional area.

How long does it take to become a dental assistant?

It takes around 12 months to become a dental assistant in Australia, but your timeline depends on which qualification you’re chasing. There are three common ways to become a dental assistant:

Dental assistant salary: How much do dental assistants earn in Australia?

Dental assistants in Australia earn a median wage of $52,000 per year, with the top 10% of earners pulling in $63,000 or more. That’s not bad money for a job you can get after only a year of training and without drowning in student debt.

Plus, there are many factors that can push your earnings up or down:

• Location: Big city practices generally pay more because they charge patients higher fees. Regional and rural clinics might offer less, though some practices in very remote locations may offer exceptional salaries just to get someone qualified to take the job.
• Experience level: Brand new assistants sit at the bottom of the scale. Stick it out for two or three years, prove you can handle orthodontic or surgical work without freaking out and you’ll climb several classification levels with a real pay bump.
• Qualifications held: A Certificate III gets you in the door. A Certificate IV makes you eligible for more complex work in specialist practices that pay better.
• Type of practice: General family dentists usually pay the least. Orthodontists and oral surgeons pay better because the work requires more skill. And if you have some sales skills, cosmetic dentistry can be very lucrative if you can upsell patients on whitening treatments.
• Hours and shifts: Most dental work happens Monday through Friday during business hours, which means you can enjoy a predictable schedule. But if you’re willing to work weekends and holidays, then you’ll earn penalty rates that can boost your income.

Dental assistant pay rate

Award wages guarantee you won’t get paid below certain thresholds based on your classification level. These classifications reflect your training, how much responsibility you can handle and whether you’re supervising anyone. The following table shows minimum base rates for dental assistants in Australia before any overtime or weekend penalties get added on.

Rates of pay for dental assistants, full-time and part-time

Source: Fair Work Ombudsman

How to become a dental assistant in Australia

Becoming a dental assistant isn’t complicated, but you do need proper training before any dentist will let you anywhere near their patients. The whole process takes roughly a year if you’re studying full-time, maybe two if you’re doing it part-time along with other commitments. This is how you can become a dental assistant in Australia:

1. Choose and complete a nationally recognised qualification

A Certificate III In Dental Assisting is your entry ticket into dental assisting. The Certificate III covers infection control, how to assist during fillings and extractions, taking X-rays and dealing with patients who are terrified of the dentist. AIPC runs this course completely online, so you can study from home instead of commuting to campus. 

Expect to spend around 12 months on the Certificate III if you’re going full-time. Part-timers usually take 18–24 months since they’re juggling study with work or family. The course mixes theory with practical assessments, so you’ll be fully prepared to start work right after graduation.After you’ve been working a while, you might want a Certificate IV in Dental Assisting to unlock specialist roles in orthodontics or oral surgery. AIPC offers this too, adding another 6–12 months of study.

2. Gain practical experience through work placement

You can’t just read about dental assisting and call yourself qualified. The course includes practical placement hours at real dental practices where you work under supervision. This is where you discover whether you’re actually cut out for the job or watching people get their teeth drilled makes you queasy.

These placements are extremely important because dentists can hire assistants they’ve already trained during placement. Show up on time, follow instructions, don’t faint during procedures and you’ve got a decent shot at getting offered a job before you’ve even graduated.

3. Obtain relevant clearances

Dental practices won’t call you in for an interview unless you’ve got the right clearances:

• Working with Children Check: Most states require this since kids come in for checkups and braces. Processing takes a few weeks, so apply early.
• First Aid and CPR: Patients occasionally have medical emergencies in the medical chair. Get certified in a one-day course and renew it every three years.
• Police check: This proves you’re not a criminal. It needs to be recent, usually fewer than six months old.

4. Apply for dental assistant roles

Don’t wait until you’ve completely finished your qualification to start looking. Apply during your final months of study since plenty of practices hire students who are nearly done, especially if they liked you during placement.

Think about what kind of practice you want:

• Family dentists handle routine stuff.
• Orthodontists straighten teeth all day.
• Oral surgeons pull wisdom teeth and do reconstructive work.
• Paediatric dentists need people who don’t lose patience with screaming children.

5. Prepare a resume highlighting dental assistant skills and soft skills

Highlight what makes you employable when submitting your resume:

• Technical proficiencies: Sterilising instruments, infection control, taking X-rays, assisting during procedures and making impressions.
• People skills: Calming anxious patients, explaining what’s happening so they don’t panic and giving clear aftercare instructions.
• Admin work: Booking appointments, updating records and processing insurance paperwork.

Mention your placement experience with specific examples of procedures you helped with and any compliments from supervising dentists.

6. Look everywhere for job openings

Don’t just scroll through SEEK and hope for the best. You have plenty of options: 

• Check career pages for Pacific Smiles, National Dental Care and other large dental chains
• Look at job listings from dental associations like The Dental Assistants Professional Association
• Search Facebook groups from local community pages and dental support groups
• Do it the old school way and print some resumes and walk into practices asking if they’re hiring

7. Continue professional development

Dental technology and techniques keep evolving. New equipment, materials and procedures come out all the time. You’ll want to stay current by attending workshops, doing online courses or getting specialised certifications in things like digital radiography or sedation monitoring. Some practices will even pay for your professional development since it also benefits them.

Career progression down the track

After you’ve worked for a few years, you’ve got options beyond just staying a dental assistant forever. The experience and skills you build open doors into different roles with better pay, more responsibility or work that better matches what you enjoy doing. Here’s what dental assistants can move on to once they’re ready to something new:

• Move into senior assistant roles: You’ll supervise new staff, manage practice systems and earn more money whilst still working clinically with patients.
• Switch to practice management: You’ll run the business side of dental practices without needing to assist during procedures anymore.
• Specialise in specific areas: You can focus exclusively on orthodontics, surgery or paediatric dentistry with advanced training that pays better.
• Study further to expand your scope: Becoming a dental hygienist or therapist requires a university degree but lets you treat patients independently under dentist supervision.
• Move into dental product sales: Companies that sell dental equipment and supplies hire experienced assistants who understand what practices need. These sales-based jobs can be extremely lucrative for someone with the right skill set.

Dental assistant FAQs

What skills do you need as a dental assistant?

You need communication skills to calm nervous patients, attention to detail for infection control and procedures and the ability to stay organised when things get hectic to become a successful dental assistant. Being comfortable working with blood is a must.

Do you need qualifications to be a dental assistant?

Yes, most practices require a Certificate III In Dental Assisting before they’ll hire you. Some might take unqualified people for very basic tasks, but proper dental assistant roles need formal training and qualification.

How old do you have to be to become a dental assistant?

You need to be at least 15 to work most Australian jobs, although there are different requirements by state or territory. However, most dental practices prefer hiring dental assistants who are 18 or older because of workplace insurance requirements and the nature of the work.

Can you be a dental assistant with no experience?

Yes, plenty of practices hire newly qualified dental assistants straight out of training with no prior dental experience. Your work placement during study counts as experience, and many dentists prefer training assistants their own way

What is the difference between a dentist and a dental assistant?

Dentists have university degrees and perform all clinical procedures like fillings and extractions, whereas dental assistants support dentists by preparing equipment, helping during procedures and managing patient care under the dentist’s direction.

Get trained and get hired

Dental assistant jobs aren’t disappearing anytime soon. Australia’s got a massive shortage, practices are hiring all the time and the training takes roughly a year through online study. You don’t need perfect grades or years of healthcare experience to start.

AIPC’s Certificate III and Certificate IV in Dental Assisting gets you qualified whilst you get to keep your current job or handle other commitments. These nationally recognised courses teach you everything practices expect, include mandatory placement hours and prepare you for work from day one.

Talk to AIPC’s course advisers about starting your training.