Want to become a dental assintant? Job prospects for dental assistants should be excellent. Jobs are expected to grow much faster than average for all careers through the year 2014. In fact, dental assistant careers are expected to be one of the fastest growing careers over the 2008-14 period.
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Important Career Information
Job prospects should be excellent.
Dentists are expected to hire more assistants to perform routine tasks so that they may devote their own time to more complex procedures.
More than one-third of dental assistants worked part time in 2008.
Most dental assistants learn their skills on the job, although an increasing number are trained in dental-assisting programs; most training takes 1 year or less to complete.
How Much Do Dental Assistants Make?
Median annual pay of dental assistants were $32,380 in May 2008. The middle 50 percent were paid between $26,980 and $38,960. The lowest 10 percent were paid less than $22,270, and the highest 10 percent were paid more than $46,150.
Benefits vary substantially by practice setting and may be contingent upon full-time employment. According to a 2008 survey conducted by the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB), 86 percent of Certified Dental Assistants (CDA) reported receiving paid vacation from their employers, and more than half of CDAs received health benefits.
What does a Dental Assistant do? Dental Assistant Jobs, Job Description, and Responsibilities
A dental assistant performs a variety of patient care, office, and laboratory duties. They work chairside as dentists examine and treat patients. An assistant makes patients as comfortable as possible in the dental chair, prepares them for treatment, and obtains their dental records. An assistant also sterilizes and disinfects instruments and equipment, preparse trays of instruments for dental procedures, and instructs patients on postoperative and general oral health care.
Some dental assistants prepare materials for impressions and restorations, take dental x rays, and process x-ray film as directed by a dentist. Dental assistants also may remove sutures, apply topical anesthetics to gums or cavity-preventive agents to teeth, remove excess cement used in the filling process, and place rubber dams on the teeth to isolate them for individual treatment.
A dental assistant with laboratory duties makes casts of the teeth and mouth from impressions, cleans and polishs removable appliances, and makes temporary crowns. A dental assistant with office duties schedulse and confirms appointments, receives patients, keeps treatment records, sends bills, receives payments, and orders dental supplies and materials.
Dental assistants should not be confused with dental hygienists, who are licensed to perform different clinical tasks.
Job Working Conditions for Dental Assistants
Dental assistants work in a well-lighted, clean environment. Their job area usually is near the dental chair so that they can arrange instruments, materials, and medication and hand them to the dentist when needed.
About half of dental assistants have a 35- to 40-hour workweek, which may include work on Saturdays or evenings.
Dental Assistant Training, College Programs, and Advancement
The Commission on Dental Accreditation within the American Dental Association (ADA) approved 265 dental-assisting training programs in 2005. Programs include classroom, laboratory, and preclinical instruction in dental-assisting skills and related theory. In addition, students gain practical experience in dental schools, clinics, or dental offices. Most dental assisting programs take 1 year or less to complete and lead to a certification or diploma. Two-year dental assisting programs offered in community and junior colleges lead to an associate degree. All programs require a high school diploma or its equivalent, and some require science or computer-related courses for admission. A number of private vocational schools offer 4-month to 6-month courses in dental assisting, but the Commission on Dental Accreditation does not accredit these programs.
Most States regulate the duties that a dental assistant is allowed to perform through licensure or registration. Licensure or registration may require passing a written or practical examination. States offering licensure or registration have a variety of schools offering dental assisting courses—approximately 10 to 12 months in length—that meet their State's requirements. Other States require dental assistants to complete State-approved education courses of 4 to 12 hours in length. Some States offer registration of other dental assisting credentials with little or no education required. Some States require continuing education to maintain licensure or registration. A few States allow dental assistants to perform any function delegated to them by the dentist.
Individual States have adopted different standards for dental assistants who perform certain advanced duties, such as radiological procedures. Completion of the Radiation Health and Safety examination offered by the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB) meets those standards in more than 30 States. Some States require completion of a State-approved course in radiology as well.
Dental Assisting certification is available through DANB and is recognized or required in more than 30 States. Other organizations offer registration, most often at the State level. In addition, dental assisting applicants must have current certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation. For annual recertification, individuals must earn continuing education credits.
Without further education, advancement opportunities are limited. Some dental assistants become office managers, dental-assisting instructors, or dental product sales representatives. Other dental assistants go back to school to become dental hygienists. For many, this entry-level career provides basic training and experience and serves as a steppingstone to more highly skilled and higher paying jobs.
Where are the Jobs? Dental Assistant Jobs
Dental assistants held about 267,000 jobs in 2004. Almost all jobs for dental assistants were in offices of dentists. A small number of jobs were in the Federal, State, and local governments or in offices of physicians. About 2 out of 5 dental assistants worked part time, sometimes in more than one dental office.
Job Outlook and Job Opportunities for Dental Assistants
Population growth and greater retention of natural teeth by middle-aged and older people will fuel demand for dental services. Older dentists, who have been less likely to employ assistants, are leaving the career and will be replaced by recent graduates, who are more likely to use one or even two dental assistants. In addition, as dentists' workloads increase, they are expected to hire more assistants to perform routine tasks, so that they may devote their own time to more complex procedures.
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Some dental assistants become office managers, dental-assisting instructors, or dental product sales representatives. Others go back to school to become dental hygienists. For many, this entry-level career provides basic training and experience and serves as a steppingstone to more highly skilled and higher paying jobs.
In addition to job openings due to jobs growth, numerous dental assistant job openings will arise out of the need to replace assistants who transfer to other careers, retire, or leave for other reasons. Many dental assistant opportunities are for entry-level jobs offering on-the-job training.
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Certification is an acknowledgment of a dental assistant's qualifications and professional competence and may be an asset when one is seeking jobs. Dental assistant candidates may qualify to take the DANB certification examination by graduating from an ADA-accredited dental assisting education program
Dental assistants are trained in dental-assisting programs offered by community and junior colleges, dental assisting trade schools, technical institutes, or the Armed Forces. Assistants must be a second pair of hands for a dentist; therefore, dentists look for people who are reliable, work well with others, and have good manual dexterity.
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Some dental assistants become office managers, dental-assisting instructors, or dental product sales representatives. Others go back to school to become dental hygienists. For many, this entry-level career provides basic training and experience and serves as a steppingstone to more highly skilled and higher paying jobs.
