Did you know that the dental assisting profession has been projected to grow 18 percent during the years of 2014 through 2024, which is much faster than the average for all other occupations? And from there who knows, the sky's the limit. But what exactly does a dental assistant do?
A Day in the Life of a Dental Assistant
Every day in the life of a dental assistant is an exciting one because of the wide variety of people you meet and the tasks that are performed. Not to mention knowing that you are contributing to helping people maintain their health by maintaining their teeth and gums.
Here are some of the tasks you can expect to perform while on your journey as a dental assistant.
• Assisting the dentist in everything from patient relations to a wide variety of dental treatments and procedures.
• Taking X-Rays and developing them.
• Talking with patients to obtain their medical history, as
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And how their diet can adversely affect their teeth and gums.
• Taking impressions of patients' teeth for casts.
• Contributing to office organization and management tasks.
• Answering the phones, making appointments, billing, dealing with vendors and ordering supplies.
• And much more!
The Bottom Line
If you are thinking about becoming a dental assistant, then ponder over this. The median pay of a dental assistant is $17.30 per hour or $35,980 per year. And as we mentioned above it's one of the fastest growing professions there is. Additionally, you can become a dental assistant much faster than other professions as well. There is also plenty of room for advancement from there if that's what you'd like to do.
If you would like more information about how to become a dental assistant quickly including using the latest technology and specialized hands-on training, please contact Dental Office Training By Lynn today. We'd love to show you how exciting a career in dental assisting can
Being a dental assistant can be very challenging when it comes to posture and sitting properly. There are several musculoskeletal disorders that can affect your job in the long run. Some so severe you may have to have surgery!! I don’t think we want that.
For some reason even though I've taken a hiatus from assisting, I always come out with a very nice picture. It makes me feel really good knowing that I still got it! The dentist has an overall positive attitude towards patients. every now and then the patient will act very anxious or aggressive and the dentist will take notes and warn me of ways that we handle certain situations sometime she could come off as being a little bit blunt
The best description of a dental hygienist is a professional whose main job is to teach their patients necessary oral hygiene skills and provide great dental care. They perform various tasks around a dentist’s office such as applying fluoride treatments, removing plaque and stains, taking x-rays, removing sutures, placing temporary fillings, and evaluating the patient’s overall health (“Dental Hygienist” Coin Career). Dental hygienists do not just work in a dental office, but they also can work at schools, nursing homes, health clinics, and many other dental settings. Close contact is necessary when doing this job. Working with people is an everyday thing in this profession, so one must be able to communicate and get along with their clients very well. Having certain traits such as excellent hand-eye coordination and great motor skills are very important to posses since dental hygienists work on their patients mouths (Porterfield 4). Communication is vital since dental hygienists are constantly teaching patients how to hav...
Having shadowed a dental hygienist prior to that of a dental assistant I didn’t know what to expect their job to be. Although I did assume a dental assistant’s job consisted of handing instruments to the doctor during the various procedures so I was surprised to see just how many responsibilities they have. Each dental clinic has different expectations of what they require their dental assistant to do in my shadowing experience they were responsible for: preparing the room prior to the patients arrival, greeting the patient upon arrival and inviting them into the operation room, confirming dental history with the patient, briefing them on the procedure they are about to have and what to expect, answering the clients questions to the best of their abilities, assisting the doctor in the procedure and aiding with any tasks required of you, when the patient is ready to leave helping them to look presentable and explaining what to expect after that kind of procedure, updating and verifying dental records, and sanitizing and sterilization of the room and all instruments after departure of
Did you know that a dental hygienist could make a slightly large mistake without asking a simple question? Well they can, the most common question is if their patient would like one or more crown placed in there mouth at a time. In order to succeed as a dental hygienist everyone is required to go to either a two or four year college and major in dental hygiene. Many people believe that it is easy to be a dental hygienist because they think that all that is required to do is clean teeth, but its actually quite difficult. Making sure the patients have excellent oral care is very important
Dental assistants mainly help as BLS states, “Dental assistants provide support to dentists as they work on patients.” (“Dental Assistants.”). Dental assistants help the doctor work on the patient's mouth. Sometimes the doctor tells the assistants what to do and the assistant does most of the work and the doctor will come back after the work is done to check the patient's mouth.
The average pay is around $72,000 a year. “I usually work around 34 hours a week” (Lewellen). Most hygienists work four hours a week. The pay may increase depending on where you work and also how long you’ve worked there. Education for dental hygiene is semi-difficult but most people can accomplish it. “Dental hygienists need an associate’s degree in dental hygiene. Programs typically take 3 years to complete. All states require dental hygienists to be licensed; requirements vary by state” (College). Depending on where you live and where you go to college will determine what requirements and skills will be needed.
Any job in the medical field is great, because it will always be needed no matter what. Doctors, nurses, techs, etc. are all very important and necessary people, but the people behind the scenes are just as important, medical administrative assistants. Being a medical administrative assistant seems awfully difficult, you have all these responsibilities but at the end of the day you’ll have a sense of satisfaction because you may have possibly really helped a patient or family with a serious and hard situation. There are different types or categories of medical administrative assistants, you have the front office, the back office, the clinic setting, private practices, and the floating position. Duties for
Dental Hygienists do a great deal more than what is recognized. They are a part of the preventive oral health profession, that provides educational, clinical,
Our commitment at Cosmetic Dental Associates is to our patients. We provide the best possible dental services through general dentistry and cosmetic dentistry, in a calm and friendly environment. Cosmetic dentists know about your concerns and cater to you to make sure you are always comfortable. We are experienced when it comes to cosmetic dentistry and general dentistry, and we are able to choose the right dental procedure that is going to last and be aesthetically pleasing.
When most people think of dental hygienists, the first and only thing they think about it cleaning and whitening teeth. However, that is mainly what dental hygienists do, but they also learn to do a lot more than that. According the occupational outlook handbook, hygienists clean teeth, examine patients for signs of oral diseases such as gingivitis, and provide other preventative dental care. They also educate patients on ways to improve and maintain good oral health. As explained on American Dental Association, the dental hygienist...
You have found a vacancy for a Dental Assistant and you know you are the perfect candidate, but how do you demonstrate this in an interview? A dental assistant is an important position in all practices. The ability to liaise with patients, prepare dental equipment and complete administration duties with ease are essential.
As long as there is Dentistry, there will always be a need for dental hygienists. The salary for an experienced dental hygiene is excellent. According to “Careers in Dental Hygiene”, the current annual average salary for a dental hygienist would be around $96,000. But as with most professions, the wages for a dental hygienist should just be part of the reason a person chooses this as their career path. According to “How To Become a Dental Hygienist”, the pay a dental hygienist receives when they begin is good, however, there is definitely a “glass ceiling” with regard to
The duties of a dental assistant are among the most comprehensive and varied in the dental office. The dental assistant performs many tasks requiring both interpersonal and technical skills. Obviously, they assist the dentist during
People that decide to become a Dental Hygienist for many reasons, and one is because it is listed as the 5th out of the “100 best jobs” in 2015. Other reasons are because the “U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics” projects that the employment will grow to 33.3% in 2022, and one more reason is because Dental Hygienists make up to $71, 110 a year (Money.usnews.com). In addition, there are certain degrees and amounts of education that are required to become a Dental Hygienist. A daily routine for a Dental Hygienist is to wake up to get to work at least a half hour before the first patient arrives.