Dental Assistant Careers

Dental Assistant Career Overview

If you want to get into business administration, you should be detail-oriented and possess excellent time-management abilities. You also need to have excellent people skills and the ability to motivate people to do their best. Most of all, you should be a naturally organized individual who desires perfection.

Those in business administration have been trained on all different components making up a business. Whether studying to get a certified mba or working to receive accounting degree,, all have been taught leadership and critical thinking skills. Usually, an individual will pick one specialty, but he or she will still understand how all areas of a business come together to make a company successful.

Business administration is the work of those who are in management positions. They should be able to:

• Identify areas where a company could make improvements.
• Effectively manage others.
• Know how to work as part of a team.

Any kind of organization needs people with a background in business administration. Many opportunities exist for people interested in this field.

Most people in business administration work regular business hours in an office. However, many who hold higher positions may be expected to work longer hours and lower management positions may also be asked to work longer hours in certain situations.

Dental Assistant Training & Education

Dental assistants should aim to complete a one- or two-year course certified by the Commission on Dental Accreditation, both to improve their employment opportunities and to increase their chances for career advancement. The process is similar for orthodontist assistants.

Dental X-ray technicians must complete at least a two-year associate's degree in radiologic or X-ray technology. To advance to more senior positions, a bachelor's degree or higher is typically required.

Dental hygienists must obtain a relevant degree from an accredited dental hygiene school. In general, at least an associate's degree is required for this career path. Dental laboratory technicians may complete either a two- or four-year degree, which may be either a general degree or one which qualifies them to work in a specialized area of the job.

Dental Assistant Career & Salary

According to U.S. Department of Labor predictions, the outlook for most dental assistant careers is good, due to an increasing demand for dental care services, and an increased focus on preventative oral care.

A dental assistant or orthodontist assistant can expect to earn between $20,000 and $43,000 annually, with orthodontist assistants trending toward the higher end of the range. The average dental assistant earns a salary of approximately $30,000 per year.

Dental hygienists may earn between $40,000 and $86,000 per year, with a median salary of $62,000. Dental laboratory technicians typically earn an average salary of $30,000, with salaries ranging from $25,000 to $45,000 depending on their level of experience.

Career Fields/Specializations

Dental Assistant Careers

A dental assistant works under the supervision of a dentist, and usually has a wide variety of duties, including office and administration work and patient care. Some dental assistants may also have laboratory duties.

One of the dental assistant's main duties is to prepare dental equipment for use. This involves sterilization and disinfection of equipment and work areas, and preparing materials used in dental procedures. The patient care side of the work involves preparing patients for dental treatment, providing advice on dental care, and assisting a dentist during dental procedures. They may also take and process X-rays and carry out other similar tasks. Administrative duties may include:

• Scheduling appointments
• Billing
• Keeping patient records

Dental assistants should have excellent interpersonal and communication skills, and be able to work well with both patients and other members of staff. They should be conscientious and reliable, and be able to understand and follow protocols for dental-related tasks. A certain degree of manual dexterity is also a must.

Dental X-ray Technician Career

Dental X-ray technicians perform a variety of clinical and laboratory tasks that involve the application of dental radiography equipment and techniques. Their duties include operating dental radiographic equipment, coaching patients who must undergo dental X-ray procedures, and producing and exposing X-ray images of patients' mouths. Senior dental X-ray technicians may also be involved in supervising junior technicians, and providing on-the-job training.

There are four different levels of dental X-ray technician, designated I, II, III, and IV, each of which is qualified to perform more complex tasks, including supervising less-qualified technicians. Each successive level requires at least two years of work experience at the previous level.

Dental X-ray technicians should have good manual dexterity and good interpersonal and communication skills. They should also have the ability to work well with all types of patients, and also work well with other members of staff.

Orthodontist Assistant Career

The orthodontist assistant has a similar role to the dental assistant. However, the orthodontist assistant generally performs more complex and specialized tasks, and is more involved in hands-on patient care.

An orthodontist assistant does not usually have administrative duties. Most of their work is chair-side, working with patients before, during and after procedures. They prepare equipment, help make patients comfortable during procedures, help the orthodontist carry out procedures, and may also carry out some minor procedures, such as tightening braces and removing sutures.

As with many other dental assistant careers, an orthodontist assistant should have good manual dexterity, and be able to perform delicate tasks correctly. They should also have good interpersonal and communication skills, and be able to work well with both patients and staff.

Dental Hygienist Career

Unlike most dental assistant careers, the dental hygienist is licensed to perform some dental procedures on patients. However, they are typically limited to minor procedures, such as removing soft and hard deposits from patients' teeth. In some states, dental hygienists are licensed to administer anesthetics, place fillings, and remove sutures.

Dental hygienists also play an important role in patient care by teaching patients how to maintain their oral health. In addition, dental hygienists carry out oral examinations, may diagnose oral diseases, and order or prepare diagnostic tests.

A dental hygienist should have very good manual dexterity and concentration, as well as good interpersonal and communication skills. They should be able to work well with many different types of people, considering they will work closely with patients and other staff members.

Dental Laboratory Technician Career

The work of dental laboratory technicians involves designing and building dental devices, such as bridges, crowns and dentures. These items are designed according to exact measurements and specifications obtained by creating a mold of a patient's mouth and teeth (actual mold creation is usually done by the patient's dentist).

A dental laboratory technician creates a prosthetic device by first creating a three-dimensional model that is based on the mold of a patient's mouth. The prosthetic item is then created to fit in the appropriate location. This can be a very exacting job, as the prosthetic must be a perfect fit for it to be usable. Many dental laboratory technicians specialize in creating particular types of prostheses, such as dentures or bridges.

One of the most important attributes for a dental laboratory technician is manual dexterity. They must also have excellent attention to detail and good concentration skills, as well as good eyesight and color vision.