---
title: What is Chairside Assisting?
url: "https://arizonacollege.edu/blog/what-is-chairside-assisting/"
type: post
date_published: 2014-08-25
date_modified: 2025-12-26
schema:
  @type: Article
language: en-US
word_count: 369
reading_time: 2 min
canonical: "https://arizonacollege.edu/blog/what-is-chairside-assisting/"
categories:
  - AZC Healthcare Programs
topic:
  - Dental Assisting
---

# What is Chairside Assisting?

Dental assistants play a very important role in the dental office. The dental
assistant often works alongside the dentist during patient examinations and
procedures to assist her or him in the process.

Chairside assisting refers to any operation that a dental assistant performs to
assist the dentist during a dental examination or procedure. Chairside assisting
can also be called, “Four-Handed Dentistry,” which refers to the dentist’s two
hands and the dental assistant’s two hands (totals to four hands), or
“Six-Handed Dentistry”, which incorporates the dentist, plus two dental
assistants (totals to six hands).

Examples of Chairside Assisting
[duties performed by a dental assistant](https://www.arizonacollege.edu/all-programs/dental-assisting/dental-assistant/)
include:

- Preparing trays for procedures
- Handing equipment, materials and instruments to the Dentist
- Applying the suction tool in order to keep the patients mouth dry and clear
- Tending to the patient during dental procedures, while keeping the patient
  calm and comfortable

The dental assistant performs many duties to help the dental office run
smoothly, including clinical back office and administrative front office. In
addition to chairside assisting, a dental assistant’s additional
responsibilities include:

- Sterilizing dental tools and equipment
- Performing X-rays, suture removal, and constructing temporary crowns and
  bridges
- Providing patients with postoperative instructions and general oral health
  information
- Preparing fillings and compounds for restorations
- Creating, forming, and polishing crowns, temporaries, and dentures
- Charting dental histories and any new conditions/symptoms
- Scheduling and confirming appointments
- Billing and processing insurance information for patients
- Processing payments

If you enjoy working with people and the healthcare field interests you, a
career as a dental assistant could be for you. You may be wondering,
[how to become a dental assistant](https://www.arizonacollege.edu/all-programs/dental-assisting/how-to-become-a-dental-assistant/)
? Arizona College offers an exciting
[Dental Assisting program](https://www.arizonacollege.edu/all-programs/dental-assisting/)
with hands-on training in our modern laboratories and sessions that start every
5 weeks. Arizona College has two conveniently located campuses in Glendale and
Mesa.
[Contact Arizona College](https://www.arizonacollege.edu/request-information/) 
today to learn more about your future as a dental assistant.

---

_Information in this blog post is accurate as of August 25, 2014._

**Categories:** AZC Healthcare Programs