Dental Assistant

Work Characteristics

A variety of office, laboratory and patient care duties fall under the responsibility of a dental assistant. They assist the dentists while they are treating patients, prepares the patient for treatment, make them comfortable and keep dental records of patients. Sterilizing and disinfecting dental instruments and instructing patients on how to maintain general oral health also falls under their scope of work.

Under the supervision of the dentist they may also take and process dental x-rays, apply anesthetics, remove excess cement generated during fillings and put rubber dams for isolating teeth for treatment.

Laboratory duties of a dental assistant include making casts of mouth and teeth from impression, cleaning and polishing of removable appliances and making temporary crowns. Office duties include scheduling and confirming appointments, receiving patients, keeping treatment records, sending bills, receiving payments and ordering dental materials and supplies.

Dental hygienists are licensed professionals who perform clinical tasks and are not to be mistaken for dental assistants.

Work Environment

Work is carried out indoors in clinics and hospitals. Dental assistants work 35-40 hours a week which may include evenings or Saturdays.

Educational Requirements

While most learn on the job, an increasing number of them join dental assistant training courses offers by junior and community colleges, technical institutes or trade schools. Several good accredited training programs are also available online.

Accredited programs are for 1 year and lead to a diploma or a certificate, whereas 2 year programs in junior and community colleges guide the way to an associate degree. 4-6 months courses are offered by private vocational schools but these are not accredited.

Job Prospects and Salary Expectations

Excellent opportunities are expected for dental assistants. The prospects for this career are predicted to grow faster than for most other professions.

Salary starts at just under $10/hr and the highest 10 percent of dental assistants earned nearly $21/hr. Benefits vary by dental practice and may be contingent upon full-time employment. According to the American Dental Association, 87 percent of dentists offer reimbursement for continuing education courses taken by their assistants.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor.