I hope everybody is saying safe and healthy out there and if you're in an area where they're doing a lot of shutdowns and a lot of quarantine procedures and everything I hope you're getting through that okay. I hope everyone is doing really well!

Today's topic is dental assistants and dexterity and why it's important for dental assistants to have good dexterity.

What is dexterity?

Let's start off by talking about what dexterity is.

Dexterity really refers to skill and performing job duties. More often than not it refers to job duties that are more manual using your hands.

Why is it important for dental assistants to have good dexterity?

It's really important for dental assistants to have that dexterity because you're working with a lot of dental tools that are small and you're working in a very small space a lot of the time and you're trying really hard not to hurt your patient.

So really important for dental assistants to have dexterity so that you can use those dental tools and different different tools in a very small space and be very careful and cautious and aware of what your hands are doing at any given time.

Ways to improve dexterity

Some of the ways that you can actually improve your dexterity that are not in the office include taking up a hobby outside of work. For example playing a musical instrument or engaging in a craft such as like knitting or crocheting or something like that and that will actually help you improve your dexterity.

To refine your manual dexterity, the ADEA suggests things like drawing, painting, sewing, cross-stitch, and playing musical instruments. This study also showed practicing skills at home helps,

If you have any other tips that might be helpful in improving your dexterity, please leave a comment.


Chris Lewandowski

Published March 17, 2020

Related Articles

Starting Pay for a Dental Assistant

Here are a few strategies to help you get an idea of what your starting pay as a dental assistant might look like. Keep in mind, pay is dependent on location, so we'll definitely take a look at those hourly rates in different cities across the U.S. too.

Chris Lewandowski

January 30, 2024

Entry Level Dental Assistant Resume Example & Template

If you're an entry level dental assistant or simply inexperienced and you’re looking to build a stronger resume Princess Dental Staffing has the examples and templates to get you started. 

Chris Lewandowski

January 23, 2024

Dental Assistant Skills

We'll give you a hint, this list doesn't include nunchuk skills, bow hunting skills, or computer hacking skills. But it does include communication skills, empathy, and patient care. Read more...go on, read it!

Chris Lewandowski

September 05, 2023


Ready to get started?

Join Princess Dental Staffing for free!