Carol Gaudette
St. Petersburg
Summary
Dedicated Certified Dental Assistant with expertise in patient education, dental radiography, and infection control. Committed to enhancing patient experiences and practice growth through exceptional care and effective communication.
Proficient dental professional with strong infection control and radiography skills. Known for collaborative teamwork and enhancing patient comfort, while effectively managing complex procedures and ensuring high standards of safety and care.
Overview
1
1
Certification
37
37
years of professional experience
Work History
Certified Dental Assistant
Bay Pines VAMC
12.2003 - 02.2025
- Supported dentists during procedures, assisting dental fillings, permanent, and temporary crowns and sealants.
- Assisted dentists by passing instruments, suctioning intraoral fluids, adding water, and mixing materials for fillings, Composite, casts and impressions.
- Took dental images following strict patient protection rules, applying lead aprons.
- Prepared comprehensive radiological images, allowing supervisory dental staff to spot cavities, tooth decay, and areas needing treatment.
- Prepared treatment rooms efficiently, adhering to strict sanitation guidelines to ensure patient safety.
- Explained treatment procedures and instructed patients on home care guidelines.
- Supported dentists in diagnosing oral health issues by taking diagnostic x-rays as needed.
- Managed patient emergencies calmly and efficiently, coordinating with dental team members to provide appropriate care.
- Aided in the creation of custom dental appliances such as mouthguards or retainers by taking precise impressions of patients'' teeth.
- Educated patients on proper oral hygiene practices to maintain good oral health between visits.
- Facilitated effective communication between dentists and non-English speaking patients using bilingual skills when needed.
- Assisted dentists with complex procedures, ensuring patient safety and satisfaction.
- Improved patient comfort by providing thorough explanations of dental procedures and addressing concerns.
- Collaborated with team members to provide seamless care during high-volume periods, minimizing wait times for patients.
- Maintained professional development through ongoing continuing education courses in dental assisting techniques.
- Documented patient dental health information, medical history, and vital signs for future reference.
- Contributed to practice growth through exceptional patient care, leading to increased referrals from satisfied clients.
- Enhanced office efficiency by maintaining accurate records, scheduling appointments, and managing inventory.
- Successfully assisted dentist by performing four-handed dentistry and other chair-side duties.
- Sanitized trays, instruments, and surfaces for clean dental office setting and patient safety.
- Maintained dental supply inventory by checking stock to determine inventory levels and placing and expediting orders for supplies.
- Assisted dentists, hygienists, and other personnel by handing appropriate tools and supplies needed for procedures.
- Prepared patient x-rays and images for dentist review.
- Sterilized rooms and prepped equipment and instruments for numerous procedures daily.
- Performed general chair-side duties for general dentistry, endo procedures, and oral surgery.
- Prepared and arranged instruments, medications, and required materials for dental procedures.
- Cleaned and sanitized dental tools and equipment, straightened treatment rooms, and restocked supplies to prep for next patient and maintain health and safety practices.
- Recorded patients' health histories, documented current symptoms, and pulled up records from prior visits for dentists to view and evaluate.
- Created dental impressions used for diagnostics, opposing models and study casts to make crowns, bridges, and other dental prosthetics.
- Prepared and sterilized instruments and materials for use by dentists.
- Scheduled and confirmed patient appointments.
- Educated patients on dental hygiene, pre-surgical instructions and post-surgical care.
- Exposed, developed and mounted dental x-rays.
- Monitored patient comfort and safety during dental procedures.
- Measured and recorded vital statistics by taking patients' blood pressure, temperature, and pulse.
- Entered patient data into computer system, adhering to strict privacy laws and maintaining high level of accuracy.
- Helped dentists restore teeth by applying permanent and temporary fillings and crowns.
- Staged tray for procedures by arranging dental instruments and equipment.
General Dental Assistant
Charles P Martin DDS
05.1988 - 12.2003
- Assisted in patient preparation and comfort during dental procedures.
- Sterilized instruments and maintained a clean, organized work environment.
- Supported dentists with chairside assistance and procedure setup.
- Managed patient records using electronic health record systems efficiently.
- Educated patients on post-operative care and oral hygiene practices.
- Developed training materials for new dental assistants to enhance onboarding process.
- Implemented workflow improvements that increased office efficiency and reduced wait times.
- Oversaw inventory management of dental supplies to ensure adequate stock levels.
- Maintained a clean and sterile work environment to prevent cross-contamination and infection.
- Provided chairside assistance during examinations, improving dentist efficiency and patient satisfaction.
- Performed x-rays safely while adhering to radiation safety guidelines, ensuring high-quality diagnostic images for dentists'' evaluations.
- Sterilized rooms and prepped equipment and instruments for numerous procedures daily.
- Assisted dentists with complex procedures, ensuring optimal patient care and treatment outcomes.
Education
High School Diploma -
St Pete High School
St Pete High SchoolHigh School Diploma -
EFDA - Dental Assistanting
Pinellas Technical College
St. Pete, Fl1988
Skills
- Patient education
- Dental radiography
- Impression taking expertise
- Infection control proficiency
- Patient management
- Oral surgery
- Oral surgery assistance
- Electronic charting
- Dental office administration
- Patient relations
Certification
- [Area of expertise] License - [Timeframe]EFDA_
Timeline
Certified Dental Assistant
Bay Pines VAMC
12.2003 - 02.2025
General Dental Assistant
Charles P Martin DDS
05.1988 - 12.2003
High School Diploma -
St Pete High School
High School Diploma -
EFDA - Dental Assistanting
Pinellas Technical College
Scholarship received at Pinellas Technical College
I received my scholarship at PTC for having attending all of my education here in the local area and also a essay that I wrote.