Dentists are often viewed as one of the dreaded healthcare professionals, but they serve an essential role. In providing the dental services, the aid of Dental Assistants will often be employed. Many dentists practice without dental assistants, particularly those who practice privately, but healthcare institutions will often have them. So have you ever thought about a career in dental healthcare? Read on to discover some basic facts about the Dental Assistant profession, it's job and educational requirements, benefits and drawbacks.
First of all, the duties of dental assistants, as you would imagine, involves tasks involving oral healthcare. As the name implies, you would be assisting a professional dentist in their treatment of patients. These include recording patient information and history, using and maintaining dental equipment, administrative and clerical duties around the dentist's office, and making sure patients' needs are taken care of before, during, and after a dental procedure. These responsibilities can be as few or as many based on the size of the institution that employs the dental assistant.
What kind of education does a dental assistant need? Because of the specialized skills and know-how required, education becomes a extremely beneficial aspect for a dental assistant. A high school diploma is the bare minimum to get the possibility of being hired as a dental assistant. Those who possess this level of education only will get the essential knowledge and skills through on-the-job training. Having said that, it is preferable to have entered a dental assisting program or an Associate's Degree in Dental Science to increase your chances of being hired as a Dental Assistant. You also have to consider that some locations and healthcare organizations require certification and license. The Dental Assisting National Board provides the certification and licenses required through a special program and by conducting an examination. Given the specialized knowledge necessary to perform the job, all this is necessary.
But given these details, is it worth this much effort to become a dental assistant? Based on the information provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average annual salary of a dental assistant is around $40,000, with lows of $24,000 to highs reaching $50,000. That's pretty good by comparison to similar healthcare careers of the same level! It goes without saying that the more experienced and skilled dental assistants will have higher rates, which is also influenced by who or where you work for. Dental health professionals are always in high demand in hospitals, public health, schools, and companies that are centered on oral health. You can also pursue further education to be full-pledged dentists.
There are a few drawbacks to a career as a dental assistant, however. The work of a dental assistant is very personable, so this is not a job for a person who isn't good with people skills. Because it involves oral health care, this is also not for the queasy. Due to the detail-oriented nature of the job, a consistent grasp of technical information is required. Certification requires an investment of time every year to renew through educational credits, which is also a concern if you wish for career advancement.
As you can see, the dental assistant profession is a challenging one, but can be ultimately rewarding to those who want to pursue it.
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So are you interested so far? Then you might want to go and check http://www.healthcareopening.com for further informationabout the dental assistant career!
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