What You Need to Know About Becoming a Dental Assistant

What You Need to Know About Becoming a Dental AssistantGoing to the dentists office probably isnt one of your favorite activities. Yet its a necessary part of taking care of yourself, and if youre lucky youve found a great dental office and staff that make the process less painfulliterally The dental assistant is an essential member of this team, caring for patients and/or keeping the office running. If you think you might be interested in joining this career path, heres a snapshot of the dental assisting field. googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.display(div-gpt-ad-1472832388529-0) ) What does a dental assistant do?A dental assistants responsibilities may includeManaging patient intakeMaintaining office recordsScheduling appointmentsAssisting the dentist during proceduresSterilizing and maintaining equipmentTaking patient x-rays (additional certification may be necessary)Teaching good oral hygiene and post-appointment care to patientsIm squeamish about medical procedures. Can I still be a dental assistant?Yes Many offices hire dental assistants who primarily manage the office and perform clerical tasks like maintaining records, managing patient appointments, billing, acting as the office receptionist, and ordering and managing supplies. Youll want to check job postings carefully to make sure that the job doesnt require hands-on patient care or assisting the dentist during procedures.How do I become a dental assistant?In fruchtwein cases, becoming a dental assistant doesnt require a four-year college degree. However, some states require that dental assistant candidates complete a certification program and/or pass an exam, so youll want to be aware of your own states requirements before you choose this path.Youll need strong organizational and clerical skills as a dental assistant, as well as solid communication and interpersonal skills. Youd be working with staff and patients (and you may be the first face people see when they visit your dental office), so those customer service skills are especially important in this role.How much do dental assistants make?The median salary for dental assistants is $34,500, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. According to surveys done by Payscale, dental assistant salaries can vary pretty widely depending on drehort and experience level at hiring. Payscale also found that salaries tended to be higher for assistants who brought strong office and business skills to their current job.Dental assistants also have high job satisfaction, per the Payscale survey 5 out of 5 dental assistants polled said they were extremely satisfied with their jobs.Whos hiring dental assistants?Many dental assistants are employed by independent or small-practice dental offices, but there are also many large firms hiring as well. Among the top corporate employers areAspen DentalDental Group LtdFamily Dental CareHeartland Dental CareWhat does the dental assistant career path look like?This field is has great development p otential, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicting 25% growth by 2022. Many dental assistants also choose to go on and become Certified Dental Assistants, dental hygienists, or a number of other dental/medical certification areas and administrative roles.Now that you know what it takes to get started in this popular and rewarding field, what do you think? Could this be you in the near future?