Education for a Dental Assisting
Career
Dental Assisting as a Career
Dental assistants must be a second pair of hands for a dentist; therefore,
dentists look for people who are reliable, can work well with others, and
have good manual dexterity. High school students interested in a career as
a dental assistant should take courses in biology, chemistry, health, and
office skills.
With no more education than a high school
diploma, an energetic person can obtain employment as a dental assistant,
under an on-the-job training arrangement. The
remainder of the assisting education can be obtained from books,
multi-media presentations, and work experience.
Dental Assisting Working Conditions
Dental assistants work in a well-lighted, clean environment. Their work
area usually is near the dental chair so that they can arrange
instruments, materials, and medication and hand them to the dentist when
needed. Dental assistants must wear gloves, masks, eyewear, and protective
clothing to protect themselves and their patients from infectious
diseases. Following safety procedures also minimizes the risks associated
with the use of x-ray machines.
About half of dental assistants have a 35- to 40-hour workweek, which may
include work on Saturdays or evenings.
Dental Assisting Employment
Dental assistants held about 266,000 jobs in 2002. Almost all jobs for
dental assistants were in offices of Dentists. A small number of jobs were
in offices of physicians, educational services, and hospitals. About a
third of dental assistants worked part time, sometimes in more than one
dental office.
Training, Other Qualifications, and
Advancement in Dental Assisting
Most states regulate the duties that dental assistants are allowed to
perform. Licensure or registration may be required, and may involve passing a written or practical examination.
These states usually require some amount of continuing education to maintain
licensure or registration. A few very liberal states allow dental assistants to perform
any function delegated to them by the dentist.
Certification of dental assistants is available through DANB (The Dental
Assisting National Board) and is recognized or required in
more than 30 States. Other organizations offer registration, most often at
the State level. Certification is an acknowledgment of an assistant’s
qualifications and professional competence and may be an asset when one is
seeking employment. Candidates may qualify to take the DANB certification
examination by graduating from an accredited training program or by having
2 years of full-time or 4 years of part-time experience as a dental
assistant, in addition to current certification in
CPR. Continuing education is required to maintain certification status.
Dental assistants can advance by becoming office managers, dental-assisting instructors, or
dental product sales representatives. Others go back to school to become
dental hygienists. For many, this entry-level occupation provides basic
training and experience and serves as a steppingstone to more highly
skilled and higher paying jobs.
Job Outlook in Dental Assisting
Job prospects in dental assisting are excellent. The US Department of
Labor estimates that dental assisting will be one of the
fastest growing occupations through the year 2012.
In addition to job openings due to employment growth, numerous job
openings will arise out of the need to replace assistants who transfer to
other occupations, retire, or leave the labor force for other reasons.
Many opportunities are for entry-level positions offering on-the-job
training.
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 occupation and
will be replaced by recent graduates, who are more likely to use one or
even two 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 profitable procedures.
Pay and Benetifs for Dental Assistants
According to the US Department of Labor, median hourly
pay for dental assistants was $13.10 in 2002. The
middle 50 percent received pay between $10.35 and $16.20 an hour. The lowest 10
percent was paid less than $8.45, and the highest 10 percent received pay
of more
than $19.41 an hour.
Benefits vary substantially by practice setting. According to the American Dental Association, almost
all full-time dental assistants employed by private practitioners received
paid vacation time. Many receive medical coverage, retirement plans, and
other benefits. The ADA also found that 90 percent of full-time and
part-time dental assistants received dental care as an employment benefit.
To find books about
dental assisting training, click
here. |