The Dental Assisting Profession Defined

Dental Assisting Career Highlights

“Dental assisting was a perfect fit. The pay is fair, the hours are reasonable—we work three and a half days a week—and I get a steady salary, great benefits and bonuses.” Julie Wong, certified dental assistant.

If you're looking for a new career, dental assisting offers great hours and benefits. You can also get into the workforce quickly and easily with certificate, diploma or associate's degree programs that fit your needs.

The dental profession is historically innovative and continues to introduce new technology. A dental assistant who learns the trade and stays up-to-date with new advancements not only builds a dynamic career, but adds great value to the dental office, becoming a vital contributor to its success.

With fast track dental assistant training and certification programs available, dental assisting is also an excellent choice if you've been thinking of a career change, but have been concerned with the time and financial investment involved in leaning a new trade.

The Dental Assisting Role

In a dental assisting job, your key role is to assist the dentist in client relations. By being the first point of contact at the dental office, you are an essential representative of the practice.

Your professionalism and skill will be your greatest assets, both with patients and your employer. As a valuable member of a dental care team, your job requires versatility, reliability and a willingness to take on significant responsibility for many different tasks.

Most dental assisting courses can be completed in nine months to one year. You can read a first-hand account of what dental assisting jobs and courses are really like in our interview with Julie Wong, a dental assistant and former massage therapist.

Dental Assisting Requirements, Expectations and Skill Set

Below is a partial list of duties for which you will be responsible in a dental assisting job:

• Assisting the dentist during a variety of treatment procedures
• Taking and developing dental x-rays
• Asking about the patient's medical history and taking blood pressure and pulse
• Serving as an infection control officer, developing infection control protocol, and preparing and sterilizing instruments and equipment
• Helping patients feel comfortable before, during and after dental treatment
• Providing patients with instructions for oral care following surgery or other dental treatment procedures, such as the placement of a restoration (filling)
• Teaching patients appropriate oral hygiene strategies to maintain oral health (such as toothbrushing, flossing and nutritional counseling)
• Taking impressions of patients' teeth for study casts (models of teeth)
• Performing office management tasks that often require the use of a computer
• Communicating with patients and suppliers (such as scheduling appointments, answering the telephone, billing and ordering supplies)

Improving Dental Care

Working in the field of dentistry is rewarding and challenging because every day you are exposed to cutting edge technology while providing invaluable support to the success of a dental practice. As a dental assistant, you will work directly with patients, helping them to improve and understand the importance of oral health. You will also work closely with a dentist to improve the speed and quality of health care services.

More Dental Assisting Career Opportunities

While most dental assistants work directly with dentists, you also have the following kinds of opportunities:

• Assisting with and helping to provide direct patient care in all dental specialties, including orthodontics, pediatric dentistry, periodontics and oral surgery
• Working as a representative at dental product companies

Dental assistant career work environments can range from private practice, to hospitals and laboratories. In every case, the focus is patient care. Hours, salary and benefits differ depending your work environment.