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AI exposure Healthcare support

Will AI replace dental assistants?

Dental Assistants. US occupation 31-9091.

0.0%

of the time dental assistants spend on their work goes on tasks where AI is already being used to do that work.of dental assistants' working hours go on tasks AI has already started taking off their plate.

Ranked 346 of 756 US occupations. No AI use seen in the work yet, along with 410 other occupations.No handover started yet, along with 410 other occupations.

Average US job 7.7%

Among the least exposed jobs there are.Still waiting for liberation.

What AI already does for dental assistantsWhat dental assistants no longer do alone

O*NET lists 16 tasks for dental assistants. None of them shows meaningful AI use at work yet.

What it does not touch, yetWhat still needs a human

16 of the 16 tasks show no AI use at work in the data.

  • Apply protective coating of fluoride to teeth.Core task
  • Assist dentist in management of medical or dental emergencies.Core task
  • Clean and polish removable appliances.Core task
  • Expose dental diagnostic x-rays.Core task
  • Fabricate temporary restorations or custom impressions from preliminary impressions.Core task
  • Instruct patients in oral hygiene and plaque control programs.Core task
Show the other 10
  • Make preliminary impressions for study casts and occlusal registrations for mounting study casts.Core task
  • Order and monitor dental supplies and equipment inventory.Core task
  • Pour, trim, and polish study casts.Core task
  • Prepare patient, sterilize or disinfect instruments, set up instrument trays, prepare materials, or assist dentist during dental procedures.Core task
  • Provide postoperative instructions prescribed by dentist.Core task
  • Record treatment information in patient records.Core task
  • Schedule appointments, prepare bills and receive payment for dental services, complete insurance forms, and maintain records, manually or using computer.Core task
  • Take and record medical and dental histories and vital signs of patients.Core task
  • Clean teeth, using dental instruments.
  • Fabricate and fit orthodontic appliances and materials for patients, such as retainers, wires, or bands.

How that compares

Among the 16 healthcare support occupations, dental assistants rank 6. The group averages 4.9%, and its most exposed job is Medical Transcriptionists at 63.7%. The average US occupation sits at 7.7%.

All 756 occupations, ranked

Level with 0.0%

  1. 346Cutters and Trimmers, Hand 0.0%
  2. 346Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 0.0%
  3. 346Dancers 0.0%

What this does and does not mean

Exposure is observed use, not a forecast. Anthropic maps work conversations with Claude onto the tasks O*NET lists for each job and asks, of the tasks AI could speed up, which are actually being used for at work. A use that does the task outright counts in full and a use that assists a person counts half. The task scores are averaged into the occupation figure by the share of time spent on each task.

A high figure means AI is already part of how this work gets done. It does not mean anyone has been replaced. Anthropic's own reading of the labour market finds no systematic rise in unemployment among exposed workers so far, and about 14% fewer 22 to 25 year olds starting exposed jobs.No measurable rise in unemployment among exposed workers so far, and about 14% fewer 22 to 25 year olds starting these jobs. Gap years for everyone. Labor market impacts, 5 March 2026.

Task list and titles from O*NET 31.0 by the US Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 licence. Scores from the Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Checked 1 November 2026. How the ranking works.