Dental Assistant Career: Where You'll Work

Typical Work Environment for a Dental Assistant Career

Most dental assistants work in privately owned dental offices; however, many dental assistant career professionals work in hospitals, schools and clinics.

In either case, your work atmosphere is calm and clean and conducive to the service of the dental patient.

In a dental assistant career, you will work very closely with the dentist during procedures—handling instruments and taking the dentist's lead. This is an important working relationship that requires you to work very closely with the patient and the dentist.

As mentioned in the dental assistant interview, you can also find work in an office open 3 or 4 days per week. Most dental assistants work a 4-day week.

Vacation is generally paid and taken when the dentist is also on vacation. With these great hours and good benefits, a dental assistant career can offer you a comfortable work schedule.

Dental Assistant Career Options & Opportunity

Since many dentists typically hire two or more dental assistants, employment opportunities in this field are excellent. As a dental assistant, you have the choice to work in one of the following environments:

• Solo dental practices – practices with only one dentist
• Group practices – practices with two or more dentists

Dental Assistant Career Specialties & Alternatives

In addition to traditional dental practices, dental assistants have the opportunity to work in specialty areas, such as:

• Oral and maxillofacial surgery – removal of teeth and correction of facial deformities)
• Orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics – straightening teeth with braces or other appliances
• Endodontics – root canal treatment
• Periodontics – treatment of gum problems)
• Prosthodontics – replacement of lost teeth)
• Pediatric dentistry – treatment of children)

More Work Environments for Dental Assistant Careers

As a dental assistant, you can also seek alternative work environments in these areas:

• Public health dentistry, including settings such as schools and clinics which focus on the prevention of dental problems within entire communities
• Hospital dental clinics, assisting dentists in the treatment of bedridden patients
• Dental school clinics, assisting dental students as they learn to perform dental procedures

Dental Assistant Career Path

Experienced dental assistants may be promoted to office manager or supervisor. Other career paths for dental assistants include:

• Insurance claims processing
• Teaching
• Dental product sales representative