With job openings projected to increase more than 29% through 2016, dental assisting is positioned to experience extraordinary growth.  If you are seeking a stable career opportunity, this is an ideal way to build a career in a field that will be around for a long time to come.

Dental services are essential for every age level — from children learning the importance of preventative career to older individuals retaining their natural teeth.  This leads to an even greater need for qualified dental assistants in dental offices nationwide.

How can you start your career? Most dentists prefer to hire assistants with formal dental assistant training.  You can get ahead by enrolling in a dental assistant program today.  Most programs can be completed in less than a year and provide the training you need to step right into a dental office as a qualified assistant.  You will be prepared to:

1) Work under the supervision of a dentist — make temporary crowns, make casts of teeth, clean removable appliances
2) Interact with patients — advise about dental care, get dental history
3) Manage dental tools — prepare patients for treatment, disinfect tools, arrange tools on dental tray
4) Manage the administrative aspects of a dental office — maintain records, schedule appointments, manage payments

Dentists are expected to free up their time for more complex procedures by hiring dental assistants to perform routine tasks.  This provides more opportunities for dental assistants to play an important role in a dental office setting.

With job prospects on the rise, it is the perfect time to get dental assistant training.  When you enroll in a dental assistant programs, you receive the training to work in a dental office providing essential support.  It is a career that will grow with you and provide the long-term opportunity you are seeking.

Author: Danielle Brunson

With more emphasis placed on health, jobs in the health care industry are therefore very much in demand. This applies to the profession of dental assistant too. In fact, this job is predicted to be the fastest growing job until 2012. This of course means that graduates of dental assistant programs will never be short of job opportunities.

While such profession is in demand across all states in the United States, the wage differs for different regions. Working in large cities almost always guarantees a higher pay. In addition, members of this profession can expect a higher pay if they have obtained a prior formal training. Aside from salary, these professionals can expect to receive health insurance and discounted charge on dental procedures.

The working time for a DA is the same as that of the standard working hours. They are not required to work in the weekend. In addition, this is also not the sort of job where you have to work during the wee hours – which is characteristic of the nature of job for professionals such as doctors and nurses.

Some of the duties that a DA may carry out include setting up the dental rooms, performing x-rays and doing some laboratory testings. These responsibilities generally differ depending upon the state and the company you work. In a nutshell, this profession has great potential for growth and thus anyone who intends to work in the health care industry may consider pursuing this career.

Author: Jasper Conan

1. Attend our 10 week, Saturdays only course and learn to be a dental assistant.
2. Pass the Texas Registered Dental Assistant exam online and get registered with the state of Texas.
3. Prepare your resume’ and hand deliver it to dental offices.
4. Continue to hand deliver your resume’ until you get an interview.
5. Prepare for and give your best performance at your job interview.
6. Repeat steps 5 and 6 until you have landed your job.

Please comment with your thoughts and questions.

Dental assistants may work with one dentist or a group of dentists. Their job, in it’s simplest definition, is to assist the dental practitioner in the dental procedures that they perform. Consequently, dental  assistants have first hand experience in dental care delivery. 

An astute dental assistant may gain sufficent knowledge to perform the dental procedures themselves, but of course they don’t possess the years of scientific education and the proven manual dexterity that every dentist has demonstrated during their extensive didactic and clinical education.  

If the dental assistant observes well, they will gain the knowledge to perform the dental procedures themselves, but of course, they can’t do that, because that would be practicing dentistry without a license. Having this knowledge however, will give them the heads-up and they will have prepared the treatment room with all necessary instruments and materials ready for the dentist.

The duties of the dental assistant are somewhat different than that of the and dental hygienist. The purpose of the dental assistant is to administer backup support and assistance for the dental treatment and therapy performed by the hygienists and the dentists. The hygienist, on the other hand, is educated and licensed to clean the teeth of a patient and do certain procedures such as non-surgical periodontal therapy.

Right now, dental assistants are enjoying a big demand in the US and elsewhere. In fact, the forecast is that this career will be a fast growing occupation until 2018. With that, it secures every dental assistant student a job today and in the near future. This is true in almost all areas of the US that a dental assistant may wish to live or relocate to.

The wages of dental assistants differs by region, but you can be sure that it will be above a regular worker’s minimum wage. What’s more, the training and knowledge you acquire will be beneficial if you decide to further your studies and become a hygienist, dentist, or a dental technician.

Most dental assistant  jobs have standard hours each work day of the week. Most likely, you’ll have evenings and weekends off to spend with your family.  Sometimes dental offices will have one or two days with extended evening hours to accommodate patients that require these hours.

If you’re employed with a good company, you can almost be assured that you’ll have free dental checkups along with your family. This is a great deal, considering you won’t have to pay for the dentist anymore.

Aside from assisting in the dental procedures, assistants are also expected to setup the dental rooms to be used, perform x-rays, and complete laboratory works.

Your responsibilities may vary with every company and state that you work for. But then, all of these tasks are there to make you a better dentist or hygienist in the future, along with giving you the skills for administration.

This job is perfect for people who want to work in a medical facility but don’t want to spend long years of study just to get in. It is also for people who enjoy dealing with people, taking care of them and their needs, and providing them with what they need.

If you have what it takes, then go ahead and be trained as a dental assistant and give your career a boost.

Author: Cristian Stan

Dental assistant is a profession unlike other jobs in the health care industry. It is one of those rare professional jobs where a degree is not a necessary requirement. In the event that you aspire to pursue you career as a DA but yet simultaneously being hesitant, read on to discover the benefits of becoming one.

The prospect for this job is incredibly bright as employment in this field is expected to grow much faster than other occupations through 2016. What this means is of course a plethora of job opportunities at your disposal. Consequently, you need not worry that you are not able to secure a job after graduating from your training program.

Being a dental assistant requires that you assist the dentist in the dental office for a variety of duties. These duties include sterilizing the tools, setting up tray for dental procedures and preparing materials to make impressions. Performing these duties enables you to have first-hand experience on the duties usually performed by dentists.

As a result, if you decide to pursue further education to be a dentist, the training program would then be considerably easier for you as you have accumulated a vast store of experience in the dental office. In terms of understanding and speed of learning, you definitely have the edge over other students.

Another benefit is that you will receive health insurance and discounted charge on dental procedures. If the dental office that you are working at is doing well, you can even receive unexpected bonuses. For those who are more compassionate and always have a genuine desire to benefit others, such monetary benefits not the most important. What is even more wonderful is being able to savour the joy of realising that they have made a difference in the health of people!

Author: Jasper Conan

These include preparing dental instruments, obtaining patients’ dental records, sterilizing and disinfecting instruments and equipment, preparing patients for treatment, handing instruments to the dentist during procedures, taking dental x-rays, and making casts of teeth.

Some assistants also handle office duties such as scheduling and confirming appointments, sending bills, and ordering dental supplies and materials. About 50% of dental assistants have a normal 40-hour workweek. Most of the rest work part-time, have variable schedules, or hold multiple jobs by working at more than one dental office.

Dental assistants usually learn their skills on the job, although formal training is not only helpful but in some states, a requirement for licensure. There are many dental-assisting programs offered by community and junior colleges, trade schools, technical institutes, and the Armed Forces.

These programs combine classroom and laboratory instruction with practical experience in dental schools, clinics, or dental offices. Most of them take one year or less to complete and lead to a certificate or diploma. Programs offered in community and junior colleges which lead to an associate degree usually take two years to complete.

Some states require dental assistants to be licensed or registered. Requirements usually include passing a written or practical examination, and taking state-approved education courses. Other states offer registration with little or no education required. In some states, continuing education is required in order to maintain licensure or registration.

There may also be additional standards applied to dental assistants who perform certain advanced duties (e.g., radiological procedures). In most states, certification is not mandatory for dental assistants but may be a distinctive asset when seeking employment. Certification is available through the Dental Assisting National Board  and confirms the assistant’s qualifications and professional competence.

 Author: U Urbano

In most areas the dental assistant salary ranges are similar. They will vary slightly based on different socio-economic locations. However, they will not change that much. Generally speaking, the average salary for dental assistants is around $30,000. With additional training you can take the steps that are necessary to help increase your salary.

Choosing to become a registered dental assistant, you will find that your pay range will increase when you make this change. By having the title registered dental assistant your pay range will increase. This is one of the most efficient ways of increasing your salary.

As with every type of position there is a pay scale. You have the opportunity to increase your pay grade by adding different certifications and experience to your resume. If you want to find out how to increase the dental assistant salary, you need to look at the different pay grades, and the different pay grades depending on the qualifications that you carry. With each of the position levels, you can easily increase the average salary that you will make.

Dental assistant salary ranges will increase depending on the responsibilities that you have. As with any job the increased responsibility will help to increase the corresponding pay. You do not have to change your title to change your pay rate. You have to increase your responsibilities.

Being a dental assistant is a very rewarding career choice. Taking the time and effort to learn the job and the skills that are required is one of the best steps that you can take. If you take on office manager duties, you will increase your average salary as a dental assistant. Very often, dental assistants are required to have some business office experience. By adding additional office management duties you will also increase your take home salary.

The first step that you will need to take along the path is that of researching all of the roles that will suit you in the area in which you live in order to scope out possible opportunities for you to take advantage of. You will also need to make sure that you are aware of the educational and personal requirements in order to pursue your chosen career. The role of an assistant is mainly to assist with all of the patient procedures that the dentist will do. You will also need to be maintaining all of the different pieces of equipment and to be keeping records of all of the different patients that you see. Finally, you will need to educate your patients about their oral hygiene and its importance. You need to consider whether you will be able to carry out all of these things before you think about starting a career in the industry.

The next step is to consider taking on a program instead of going into a clinic to gain on the job training. You will be able to do a certified program or a degree program depending on what you want. Both of these will let you gain practical experience within a clinic as well as educating yourselves in lectures. Either of these will give you the edge over the competition when it comes to applications.

The third step to take is getting registered or licenced. This will depend on which state you live and work in as to whether you will need to do it. After you have taken care of this you will be able to work as a dental assistant, and join an industry in which there are many opportunities currently available.

The fourth step is to get some on the job training. This is necessary whether you have gone straight into a clinic or have completed some form of program previously. Because each clinic will have its own different procedures and styles, it will be crucial for you to learn these before you become comfortable working there.

Last of all you need to consider your career progression. If you’ve gotten a degree you will come straight into the role with better pay and better career opportunities. If you have not you will be required to be adding to your education as you go. Either way, in order to progress further and further you will need to learn more and more.

If you are looking, therefore, to be an assistant to a dentist, then these five different steps are those that you should consider before embarking on your career.
By: Heather Thomas

In many ways the dental assistant becomes an extra set of hands and eyes for the dentist. Before the patient undergoes a procedure performed by the dentist, for example, the assistant will prepare the area, find the proper dental tools and instruments, and lay out a tray so that these sterilized instruments are close at hand and carefully organized. The dental assistant is the one responsible for keeping the patient’s mouth clean – so while the dentist is doing such things as drilling, filling, or repairing teeth the dental assistant will hold a suction tube in the patient’s mouth and move it around to drain saliva and other fluid.

But the dental assistant will also use an air and water tool to inject a stream or spray of water into the mouth, for the purpose of cleaning and rinsing. So while the dentist is working the assistant is constantly responsible for rinsing and washing and then drying the area where the efforts of the dentist are focused. Throughout the whole time that the dentist is examining the patient or performing some kind of dental procedure or surgery, the dental assistant is there to offer feedback, look after the patient, and make sure that whatever the dentist may need is quickly handed to him or her. Thanks to the help of the assistant the dentist can work much faster and be more effective, and that not only saves time and helps to ensure more successful procedures and results, but it also saves can save the patient money. Rather than having to pay the dentist to perform every procedure, in other worlds, the patient receives help from a dental assistant – and that makes it more affordable for dentists to provide extensive menus of dental care and dentistry services.

Dental assistants also help in other ways. When you first get to the dentist’s office, for instance, the assistant will get you situated in the chair; begin doing a careful examination of your teeth, and take notes regarding the condition of your teeth, your fillings, and your gums. The assistant will advise the dentist of any problem areas and help to explain procedures to the patient. The dental assistant will also usually be in charge of giving the patient’s teeth a thorough and professional cleaning and polishing, all the while taking care to ensure the comfort of the patient.

Assistants will also perform educational functions in the dentist office. They will teach patients how to properly care for their teeth with the right brushing and flossing techniques or help by showing them how to care for themselves during dental surgery recovery periods. Sometimes it is the dental assistant who has more face to face interaction with the patient than the dentist actually does, so their role in the dentist office is one of increasing importance and professional responsibility.

By: Dr. Kevin