Dental Assistant Careers

Overview

Although state regulations vary, a dental assisting career offers many challenges. It includes such specific tasks as assisting the dentist to provide care to patient in all dental specialties, including orthodontics, pediatrics, periodontics and oral surgery. They also sterilize, prepare and handle dental instruments and materials. Other tasks may include taking and developing dental x-rays, taking impressions of patients' teeth, performing office tasks that may require the use of a computer, and communicating with patients and suppliers (e.g., scheduling appointments, answering the telephone, billing and ordering supplies). Assistants are relied upon to help patients feel comfortable before, during and after dental treatment.

It takes a relatively short period of time to become a dental assistant. Although the majority of academic dental assisting programs take nine to eleven months to complete, some schools offer accelerated training, part-time education programs or training via distance education. Graduates of these programs usually receive certificates. Assistants can then become certified by passing an examination that evaluates their knowledge.

Work Schedules

Dental assisting jobs offers flexible work schedules, as well as excellent career opportunities for individuals seeking a career change or reentry into the workforce, as well as individuals from culturally diverse backgrounds. As a member of the dental health care team, the assistant takes on a significant amount of responsibility. They greatly increase the efficiency of the dentist in the delivery of quality oral health care and are valuable members of a team of dental care professionals.

Work Environment

The types of practice settings available to assistants include: a single general dentist or group practice setting, specialty practices such as oral and maxillofacial surgery, orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics, endodontics, periodontics, prosthodontics, and pediatric dentistry. Other career opportunity environments for an assistant of this type include insurance companies, processing dental insurance claims; vocational schools, technical institutes, community colleges dental schools and universities, teaching others to become dental assistants (this may require an associate or bachelor degrees); and as dental product sales representatives. In addition, public health dentistry in such settings as schools and clinics which focus on the prevention of dental problems within an entire communities as well as hospital dental clinics, where dentists are involved in treating bedridden patients are other environments in high demand for dental assistants.

Salary and Benefits

Median hourly earnings of assistants were $13.62 in May 2004. The middle 50% earned between $11.06 and $16.65 an hour. The lowest 105 earned less than $9.11, and the highest 10% earned more than $19.97 an hour. Benefits vary substantially by practice setting and may be contingent upon full-time employment. According to the ADA, almost all full-time assistants employed by private practitioners received paid vacation time. The ADA also found that 9 out of 10 assistants received dental coverage as part of their job benefits.

Begin the Process

The best way to become an assistant is to receive formal education. Studying in an accredited program provides education that is based on the latest procedures and techniques. In some areas of the country, assistants can begin their careers without a college degree, however, a formal education is highly encouraged in order to allow for assistants to gain considerable freedom to chose their own hours. Click here for information on the process of beginning your career as a Dental Assistant. If you are an international student looking to become an assistant, get information on studying in the US or Canada here.

Career as a Dentist

Career as a Dental Hygienist

Career as a Dental Assistant

Career as a Dental Lab Technician

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