Dental Assistant

Duties and Responsibilities

The dental assistant performs many tasks requiring both interpersonal and technical skills. Although state regulations vary, responsibilities may include helping to provide direct patient care in all dental specialties, including orthodontics, pediatric dentistry, periodontics and oral surgery. Helping patients feel comfortable before, during and after dental treatment. Communicating with patients and suppliers (e.g., scheduling appointments, answering the telephone, billing and ordering supplies) dental assistants are more concerned with preparation of the patient, equipment, and instruments. In addition to readying the patient for treatment, the dental assistant may also process x-rays, apply topical anesthetic, and insert or remove equipment or materials from the patient’s mouth as needed. Dental assistants also assist dentists during procedures or surgery, by handing them instruments, or applying suction or rinse.

Salary

The pay scale for dental assistants ranges from about $23,550 to $47,580. In 2012, the average pay for dental assistants was $35,080 and the median pay was $34,500. Those with the highest salaries live in the metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Nashua, N.H., and Haverhill, Mass.

Education

It takes a relatively short period of time to become a dental assistant. Dental assistants receive their formal education through academic programs at community colleges, vocational schools, technical institutes, universities or dental schools. Graduates of these programs usually receive certificates. Although the majority of academic dental assisting programs take nine to eleven months to complete, some schools offer accelerated training, part-time education programs or training via distance education.

Reflection

No I would not like to a dental assistant because I’m not interested in that career. Also because I want to be someone in life and make my parents proud and by me becoming a doctor assistant would make them proud but it’s not my thing.