Your work. Your records.
Dental Assistant Workplace Records Guide
Dental assistants may prepare instruments, support treatment, manage supplies and complete administrative tasks in one workday. A workplace review benefits from knowing which duties were assigned and who directed them. Keep the focus on the employment event, such as a training dispute, schedule change or warning, without duplicating a patient's clinical record.
Call now(800) 800-5555Free initial case evaluation. Representation depends on work state and case eligibility. This guide explains record preparation; it does not determine whether a legal claim exists.
A record map for your role
What to organize first
Training record
List the duty in question and the relevant training or instruction using your own authorized documents.
Turnover timeline
Record room preparation, instrument processing, supply checks and cleanup associated with the disputed shift.
Employment feedback
Keep your own warning or evaluation, your response and any follow-up together without patient attachments.
Start with the work you actually do
Perform limited clinical duties under the direction of a dentist. Clinical duties may include equipment preparation and sterilization, preparing patients for treatment, assisting the dentist during treatment, and providing patients with instructions for oral healthcare procedures. May perform administrative duties such as scheduling appointments, maintaining medical records, billing, and coding information for insurance purposes.
O*NET classifies this occupation as Dental Assistants (31-9091.00). Its description covers a typical occupation, not every workplace or individual job. It does not establish employee status, overtime eligibility or employer misconduct.
- Prepare patient, sterilize or disinfect instruments, set up instrument trays, prepare materials, or assist dentist during dental procedures.Source task 550 · updated 08/2021
- Record treatment information in patient records.Source task 552 · updated 08/2021
- Assist dentist in management of medical or dental emergencies.Source task 555 · updated 08/2021
- Order and monitor dental supplies and equipment inventory.Source task 18552 · updated 08/2021
- Expose dental diagnostic x-rays.Source task 551 · updated 08/2021
A reference point for your pay records
May 2025 wage estimates by state
Compare your pay records with published BLS estimates for Dental Assistants (SOC 31-9091). These describe an occupation across employers. They are not a required pay rate, an overtime calculation, or evidence of discrimination or unpaid wages.
Select your work state to see its published pay range. No personal pay information is requested or sent.
The 25th and 75th percentiles mark the middle half of the estimated wage distribution; the median is its midpoint. Actual pay can differ with experience, employer, location and duties. Hourly and annual figures are shown as published, without converting one into the other.
All published state estimates for this occupation
| State | Hourly 25th | Hourly median | Hourly 75th | Annual median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $17.40 | $18.79 | $22.64 | $39,080 |
| Alaska | $22.83 | $27.74 | $29.51 | $57,710 |
| Arizona | $22.14 | $23.56 | $27.83 | $49,000 |
| Arkansas | $17.69 | $20.59 | $22.47 | $42,830 |
| Connecticut | $23.25 | $27.33 | $28.68 | $56,850 |
| Delaware | $20.91 | $22.89 | $26.76 | $47,600 |
| Florida | $21.69 | $22.89 | $26.29 | $47,620 |
| Georgia | $19.36 | $22.52 | $23.54 | $46,840 |
| Hawaii | $18.07 | $21.50 | $23.14 | $44,720 |
| Idaho | $19.14 | $22.06 | $27.74 | $45,880 |
| Indiana | $22.05 | $23.40 | $27.75 | $48,670 |
| Iowa | $22.11 | $23.28 | $27.70 | $48,430 |
| Kentucky | $20.38 | $22.95 | $27.29 | $47,730 |
| Louisiana | $17.59 | $21.20 | $22.42 | $44,090 |
| Maine | $23.68 | $28.88 | $29.57 | $60,070 |
| Michigan | $21.82 | $23.47 | $27.37 | $48,820 |
| Minnesota | $28.82 | $31.38 | $35.78 | $65,270 |
| Mississippi | $17.42 | $18.83 | $22.81 | $39,160 |
| Missouri | $18.75 | $22.10 | $24.11 | $45,970 |
| Montana | $21.07 | $22.44 | $24.00 | $46,680 |
| Nebraska | $20.96 | $22.43 | $23.74 | $46,660 |
| New Hampshire | $23.68 | $28.62 | $29.41 | $59,530 |
| New Mexico | $18.41 | $21.35 | $22.67 | $44,400 |
| New York | $21.51 | $23.13 | $28.19 | $48,110 |
| North Carolina | $22.93 | $24.22 | $27.75 | $50,380 |
| North Dakota | $22.67 | $27.78 | $28.98 | $57,770 |
| Ohio | $20.51 | $23.06 | $28.62 | $47,970 |
| Oklahoma | $17.89 | $21.99 | $23.07 | $45,740 |
| Pennsylvania | $21.93 | $23.05 | $27.33 | $47,930 |
| Rhode Island | $23.11 | $24.11 | $28.45 | $50,150 |
| South Dakota | $22.62 | $23.03 | $27.83 | $47,900 |
| Tennessee | $21.37 | $22.46 | $28.50 | $46,720 |
| Texas | $17.96 | $21.84 | $23.21 | $45,430 |
| Utah | $17.50 | $18.16 | $22.00 | $37,760 |
| Vermont | $22.76 | $25.37 | $29.05 | $52,760 |
| Virginia | $18.83 | $22.44 | $25.50 | $46,670 |
| West Virginia | $17.48 | $18.25 | $21.72 | $37,960 |
| Wisconsin | $21.91 | $22.85 | $26.75 | $47,520 |
| Wyoming | $17.53 | $21.63 | $23.31 | $44,990 |
“Not published” preserves unavailable or suppressed source cells. “Above reporting limit” preserves a top-coded source value without inventing a number. A missing state estimate does not establish service eligibility. The data describe wage and salary employment; they do not measure self-employment income.
Source: BLS May 2025 state workbook · OEWS tables · BLS technical notes. Use your own schedule, pay statement and compensation terms to identify the question you want reviewed.
Identify the assigned support role
Describe the general procedure or room-preparation task, the supervising role and the training relevant to your concern. Note whether you were instructed to change duties or help in an unexpected situation. Separate what you personally did from another team member's work. Do not draw clinical or legal conclusions from a job title or a disputed instruction alone.
Include preparation and turnover work
Record instrument preparation, room turnover, supply checks and required cleanup when they explain your work sequence. If performance feedback cited a delay, note the availability of equipment, supplies and assistance at the time. Compare the timeline with your own schedule and permitted manager messages. Patient appointment times alone do not establish the hours you worked.
Keep patient information within the practice
Do not save dental images, charts, treatment plans, appointment lists or clinical photographs to personal storage. Describe a relevant event without patient names or identifying details. Your own training, evaluation and employment correspondence can form a separate packet. Identify the type of clinical record for a reviewer and seek guidance before sharing any restricted material.
Choose your next step
Review the workplace retaliation guide, unpaid wages guide, or discrimination guide if those concerns fit your experience. A job title alone does not establish a claim.
Call now(800) 800-5555Current service-state coverage
AK, AL, AR, AZ, CT, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IN, KS, KY, LA, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NM, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WI, WV, WY. Eligibility is evaluated individually; this list does not promise representation.
Explore state resources