The role of the dental assistant has evolved significantly in recent years. What was once defined primarily by chairside support now often includes digital workflow management, implant coordination, 3D printing, and patient communication.
Dr. Brett Richins, Ultradent’s clinical director, has seen that shift firsthand. As a practice owner, he views assistants as central operators within the modern dental team. “There’s no ‘just’ about it,” he says.
“I hear my assistants say they’re just a dental assistant and I like to cut them off really quickly. To me, they’re the glue that holds an office together and an indispensable part of the team.”
In a digitally integrated practice environment, assistants are expected not only to support procedures, but to anticipate needs, manage systems, and take ownership of patient follow-through. In Dr. Richins’ offices, assistants are often the ones managing intraoral scanners, coordinating implant components, refining 3D-printed appliances, and ensuring cases move seamlessly from operatory to lab and back again.
In many practices, the technical expectations placed on assistants today look very different than they did even five years ago.
“We’ve implemented 3D printing in our office,” Richins says. “We’ve gone from having one scanner, used just to scan and send to the lab, to now having probably three scanners in each of our offices.”
The ripple effect is significant. Traditional skills, such as taking physical impressions, are becoming less central. “Now, they’re doing a lot of scanning,” Richins says. “Getting digital designs ordered. Having those printed, refining 3D-printed night guards, 3D-printed models.” Cone beam imaging and digital diagnostics add another layer of responsibility. “Taking 3D X-rays, cone beams and getting those on the disk… there’s a lot of digital workflow, as we call it, that they’re getting good at.”
In many cases, assistants ultimately own the processes for a lot of new technologies.
“When we first got our 3D printer… it was mostly me. But our assistants learned quickly. And now I probably forgot the process. They’re so good at it,” Richins recalls with a chuckle.
While scope-of-practice laws still dictate certain limitations, what assistants can do within those boundaries has expanded substantially in many states.
In implant cases, for example, preparation and coordination fall heavily on the Dr. Richins’ assistants. “They have to be tracking each part for the implants now that we scan. Knowing for each brand of implant that we have that size and brand of scan body available before the patient comes in. They have to be very organized, very proactive,” he adds.
Assistants are often the ones verifying lab returns, ensuring components are ready for delivery appointments, and preventing costly and frustrating delays. In a multi-provider practice, that operational consistency becomes essential to maintaining efficiency and quality of care.
For Dr. Richins, however, technical competence alone doesn’t define a high-performing assistant. What differentiates exceptional assistants, in his view, is ownership. “I’m going to be seeing four times the amount of patients that my assistants will on any given day. So they need to take ownership of what we talked about and follow up and make sure that the things we promised to that patient get completed.”
That ownership can extend to simple but meaningful actions, like following up with a patient after treatment.
“If you have a little bit of downtime… and you think of Miss Johnson, for example, who had a root canal yesterday, feel free to call and check on her,” Richins tells his team.
When assistants are empowered to engage at that level, Dr. Richins finds their job satisfaction rises. “When they start to feel that they can be engaged and take some ownership… they have a lot more fulfillment.”
One defining characteristic of the assistant role in Dr. Richins’ practices is mobility. “Assistants are one of the positions that has more common turnover,” he explains, often for positive reasons like education and life milestones.
Several of Dr. Richins’ former assistants have gone on to advance their careers in oral health care. “I have two or three former assistants that are now hygienists in my office. I even have a dentist that works for me now that was a dental assistant in our office for about four years, then left and went to dental school, and now he's back in our office as a dentist.” Many assistants, he notes, are in a growth stage of life, “hungry and eager to learn and develop.”
If the past five years have been defined by digital workflow expansion, the next five may center around predictive diagnostics and prevention.
“We’re trying to implement AI note taking in my offices,” Richins says, describing a pilot program using wearable, HIPAA-compliant recording technology during larger consults to improve documentation efficiency. Beyond documentation, he anticipates assistants becoming more involved in diagnostic support systems.
But he sees a particularly meaningful opportunity in preventive care. “If dentistry makes the strides that I hope it will, we will be improving our preventative steps and available options,” he says. That includes salivary testing, risk assessment, and patient education, all areas where assistants can play a significant role in sample collection, patient communication, and reinforcing evidence-based recommendations.
“You’re going to want a dental team that is highly educated as far as available treatment, research, evidence-based practice,” Richins says.
As dentistry continues its shift toward digital integration, predictive diagnostics, and enhanced preventive strategies, the assistant’s role is unlikely to contract. If anything, it will continue to expand.
In practices where assistants are empowered to lead digital workflows, manage operational details, engage patients, and pursue professional growth, the title of “assistant” reflects only a fraction of the impact of the role.
Dr. Brett Richins completed his undergraduate degree in biomedical engineering at the University of Utah, followed by his dental education at the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine, where he earned his DMD in 2012. In 2025, he furthered his education by completing an Executive MBA at the University of Utah, enhancing his expertise in dental practice management and leadership.
He has been practicing dentistry in Lehi, Utah, for over 12 years and is a founding partner of a multi-location group practice that integrates general and pediatric dental care. In addition to private practice, Dr. Richins is the director of clinical affairs at Ultradent Products, Inc., where he collaborates on the development and evaluation of dental materials and technologies.
Outside of dentistry, Dr. Richins enjoys spending time with his wife of over 20 years and their four children. He’s an avid outdoorsman and finds balance through mountain biking, hiking, snowboarding, and exploring the red rock landscapes of the Southern Utah.