Medical professionals are highly respected and honored for their services to humanity all over the world. Dental assistants act as the primary help to the senior dental doctors. They perform the duties and functions, which primarily aids and assist the doctor in chief. Being an important profession, dental assistants fetch lucrative salaries and benefits. The interview for this position is quite deep, and you will certainly see questions that will assess your personality, core domain knowledge, and behavior. Thus, prepare hard and read lots of frequently asked interview questions.
21 Best Interview Questions To Study
1. Explain The Role Of Calcium In Blood Clotting.
This question tests your knowledge and understanding of various minerals and clotting factors. Calcium is an integral part of teeth and there will always be questions related to it.
Sample Answer
Sir, blood clotting is a process following which our body is able to heal the wounds and stop the flow of blood passing through them. Calcium is the blood clotting factor IV and undergoes the process of clot formation. It combines with Prothrombin and Thromboplastin to form Thrombin, which further combines with fibrinogen to produce fibrin. This product is further associated with platelets and leads to the formation of a clot.
2. What Do You Know About Calciferol? Share Its Uses, Sources and Impacts Of Its Deficiency.
This question tests your knowledge and understanding of various vitamins, especially Vitamin D, which is pivotal in preventing dental problems.
Sample Answer
Sir, Calciferol is the scientific name of Vitamin D. It is could be further explained hereunder:
| Sources of Vitamin D | Sunlight, Fish liver oil, Dairy products, Margarine, etc. |
| Impact on the human body from deficiency of Vitamin D | There could be several illnesses from the deficiency of Vitamin D, primarily being: a) Rickets – Human bones become soft, and could bear the load, not even our body weight b) Osteomalacia – The bones become bent, curved, or zig-zagged reducing their efficiency and load-bearing capacity c) Osteoporosis – The density of the bones reduces and they become more prone to fracture d) Dental problems – The teeth can lose their enamel, and become white, ultimately reducing their strength and ability to resist germs and bacterias. |
| Primary Use | Vitamin D maintains the level of calcium and phosphorus in our human body. When maintained in the right balance, these minerals protect our teeth from decaying. |
3. Vitamin “C” Plays A Negligible Role In Preventing Dental Problems. Comment On This Statement.
This question tests your knowledge and understanding of Vitamin C, in the context of human teeth.
Sample Answer
Sir, I disagree with this statement. It is true that a high intake of Vitamin C can lead to tooth decay and deteriorate the enamel, but when taken in optimal quantities, it is necessary to prevent the bleeding in gums, which is commonly known as Scurvy.
4. Describe About A Time When You Operated A Patient Without Consulting The Senior Doctor.
This is a situation-based question in which you are required to narrate a real story in response to this question.
Sample Answer
Sir, it is unethical and prohibited as well, to operate in absence of a senior doctor, especially when you don’t have the requisite qualifications and experience. However, you just cannot resist when the call is strict and harsh. I remember such a situation when a young little girl was suffering massively from toothache and was crying with all her strength. That prompted me to act, even in the absence of a doctor, and I gave her a pain-killer medicine without a prescription from the senior doctor. That even worked, and she felt soothe and relaxed.
5. How Do You Maintain The Decorum Of Your Workplace?
Being a dental assistant, you will certainly be performing lots of administrative and clerical duties, such as filing, noting, drafting, payroll management, etc. Share some good strategies that you perform to keep your office spick and span.
Sample Answer
Sir, large and established medical centers experience lots of patients that need to be handled and taken care of. It is necessary to maintain decorum by attending to all of them and delivering the best quality services. Furthermore, there should be:
- Appropriate filing, with all the files, well maintained and stocked
- Updated records and patient history to eliminate all the chaos and related problems
- Ensured that there is proper cleanliness and the housekeeping department is working to the best of their ability
- Lastly, I make sure that bio-medical waste is safely disposed of following all the guidelines and procedures
6. Medicine Is A Challenging Profession, As Patients Can Some Times Be Dissatisfied From Your Performance. How Do You Handle Such Discontent Patients?
This question requires you to share a strategy using which you will handle the discontent patients.
Sample Answer
Sir, it is common to experience dissatisfied patients in the medical profession. It is my technique to first of all always understand their issues and problems using my active listening skills. Post this, I always devise appropriate solutions and resolutions using my critical thinking. In most cases, they agree and confirm, after a bit of negotiation and persuasion.
7. How Do You Handle Negative Feedback and Criticisms, Which You Receive At Your Workplace?
This is a common interview question, which checks your viewpoint and attitude towards criticism and negative feedback.
Sample Answer
Sir, working in a medical center is challenging, and sometimes receiving criticism or negative feedback is inevitable. However, I never feel bad or offended after receiving such criticisms, rather I view them as an opportunity to improve myself and plug all my loopholes. Moreover, I always take each and every of my negative feedback seriously and try to overcome it.
8. What Skills Do You Possess In Addition To The Dental Related Dexterity?
This question assesses your overall ability and wants to judge you apart from your primary skills.
Sample Answer
Sir, In addition to the dental-related expertise, I am an expert phlebotomist and have the ability to perform all the daycare tasks of the patients. I am committed, dedicated, and believe in giving my 100% to every task.
9. What Is The Importance of Equipment Sterilization and Sanitization?
This question checks your viewpoints in regards to sterilization and how much importance you give to it.
Sample Answer
Sir, it is an established fact and practice, that all the process machines and equipment that are placed in a dental center must be properly sterilized as per the manual prescribed using appropriate chemicals and other liquids. I follow this and feel that this is necessary to prevent the rise of common infections, bacterias, and germs.
10. We See You Are An Experienced Assistant. Describe Your Best Boss and Worst Boss.
We all work at different business organizations and face several seniors and bosses. Some of these professionals enter into our good books and some fail to make the cut. Through this question, an interviewer wants to know your exact reasons and the basis using which you are able to differentiate and categorize between your good and bad bosses.
11. Working As A Dental Assistant, You Will Be Required To Perform Several Tasks and Duties. How Do You Prioritize?
It is true that as a dental assistant you will be required to perform several tasks and duties while being on duty. This requires you to adopt and follow a prioritization technique using which you are able to arrange your tasks in a meaningful order. Usually, employees prefer to order their tasks using time consumption, the urgency of the tasks, or simply their difficulty levels. You are free to choose whatever suits you, but make sure that you are relevant and are able to justify your selection.
12. Hospitals Are Among The Most Challenging Places To Work Wherein One Can Never Be Assured Of Success. How Do You Manage Your Workplace Failures?
It is true that success is not a guarantee and especially in medical centers one can never be assured of it. Failure, when experienced can lead to several negative impacts upon the human mind and can affect normal functioning. Thus, through this question, an interviewer wants to know what are the various strategies using which you are able to manage your workplace failures.
13. We Have Several Competitors and Rival Hospitals. Why Did You Choose Us?
Through this question, an interviewer wants to check your seriousness and commitment towards the organization you sought to work with. The official website of the company is the best place to prepare for this interview question, and you can always note down a few positive achievements, milestones, and historical facts pertaining to the company. Add your personal interests in the company to your notes and compile a perfect answer.
14. We Believe In Delivering “Quality” Services To Our Patients. How Do You Interpret The Term “Quality”?
This is a word-based interview question, wherein you are required to interpret the term “quality”. Usually, it is achieved when the satisfaction of patients is achieved and your performance matches the established benchmarks and standards. There could simply be several interpretations of this little word, and an interviewer wants to listen your own version.
15. What Is Your Preferred Mode Of Working – Team or Individually?
This question requires you to choose between the two modes of working, which are in a team or individually. The safest option over here is a “team” as most business organizations nowadays have organized themselves and adopted a team mode of working. However, you can choose “individually” also, but make sure that you are able to justify your selection by using adequate and compelling reasons.
16. Please Share A Few Strategies Using Which You Are Able To Manage Your Work Related Stress.
Work-related stress breeds when a person performs a repetitive task at this workplace. This can crush your enthusiasm and the ability to work with innovation and creativity. Hence, through this question, an interviewer wants to know, what are the various strategies and techniques that you adopt to manage your stress levels. Be specific, and explain using practical examples.
17. What Are Your Strengths and Weaknesses As A Dental Assistant?
It is a common interview question, and you will certainly find this in almost all the hiring sessions held across the world. The best way to prepare an answer for this question is by analyzing the job description and noting down all the requisite qualities and traits. Post this, you are expected to share your strengths that confirm these requirements, and weaknesses that do not conflict with them.
18. What Is Your Dream Job?
Through this question, an interviewer wants to know what are your expectations and desires from your employer. For example, it might be your dream to work with a company that offers an all-expense-paid trip to its standout employees. There is no fancy answer to his question, hence, maintain decency and professionalism, while answering it.
19. What Are Your Salary Expectations?
Share your expected salary bracket on the basis of extensive research of the industry to which you belong. Moreover, calculate a mean salary and do not deviate more than 15% from it.
20. When Can You Start Working For Us?
This question requires you to share an expected date of start on or after which you can start working with the company. It is true that immediate starters are always preferred but you are always expected to share a genuine date. Moreover, this question does not guarantee your selection in any way, hence do not interpret it in that fashion.
21. Do You Have Any Questions For Us?
If you believe in trends then this is the last question of every interview session. If you ever face this question, be assured that your opportunity has ended and you can now go home. Through this question, an interviewer wants to know what are the various apprehensions and doubts that you might be having in regards to the business organization. Be specific, and ask only relevant counter-questions. Read out the following model questions for a better understanding:
Model Questions
- What are the various incentives and allowances that are offered by the medical institution to its employees?
- Please share a list of all the anti-harassment and employee-centric policies that are adopted by the medical center for the welfare of its employees.
- What are some unique features of this hospital, which separate it and make it the best place to work?
Download the list of questions in .PDF format, to practice with them later, or to use them on your interview template (for Dental Assistant interviews):
References
- https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/wk/acm/2020/00000096/00000008/art00042
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12903-021-01627-8
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