WordNet
n. an assistant to a dentist
Wikipedia
Dental assistants assist the dental operator ( dentist or other treating dental auxiliary) in providing more efficient dental treatment, by preparing the patient for treatment, sterilizing instruments, passing instruments during the procedure, holding suction devices, exposing dental radiographs, taking impressions, and fabricating provisional crowns. Dental operators can focus more time on the procedure; the dental assistant then effectively becomes the operator's extra hands.
Dental assistants should be distinguished from dental hygienists, who usually have a higher level of training and expertise.
Usage examples of "dental assistant".
In her role as part-time dental assistant, Sally arrived with a glass of water and a bowl for the man to spit into.
He would warn them he was quitting and tell them the reason-the new dental assistant who had joined the staff, and who didn't seem to know quite enough about dentistry.
Trout was talking to a Maggie White, who had given up being a dental assistant to become a homemaker for an optometrist.
Off she would go then to her job as a dental assistant, leaving him at home with little to do besides check the mail and rifle through the inanities of daytime television.