Being a dental assistant is more than just donning a mask and handling dental instruments—it’s a gratifying, fulfilling career that gives you the opportunity to make people smile and feel confident on a daily basis! While the occupation might have its challenging aspects, there are numerous advantages to being a dental assistant that make the job rewarding in the end. Continue reading below to learn a little more about the profession, along with a few notable pros that can help you decide if this career is right for you!
What Does a Dental Assistant Do?
A dental assistant is an allied health professional who assists in providing patient care in dentistry; essentially, they play a support-focused role to the dentist and help them with a variety of tasks. Their general responsibilities include things like ensuring patients are comfortable in the chair, preparing the work area for treatment, sterilizing dental instruments and passing them to and from the dentist, and instructing patients in proper oral hygiene. They might also perform or assist with other duties, such as teeth cleaning.
Top 5 Pros of Being a Dental Assistant
If you’re on the fence about becoming a dental assistant, here are a few notable pros that might convince you to make the change:
- The training period isn’t too long – One key advantage of being a dental assistant is that the training period is relatively short compared to other healthcare professions; you can have a career in as little as one or two years!
- The work environment is clean – If given a choice, most people would pick working in a clean environment over a dirty one. Dental offices are some of the cleanest and most productive work environments around—they need to be, given the nature of dentistry!
- Your job will be low-stress – As a dental assistant, you won’t be dealing with life-or-death situations: just teeth! You’ll be taking X-rays, organizing appointments, and meeting with patients in addition to assisting the dentist with various tasks. Most days are predictable and organized, meaning you can go home and easily unwind and relax!
- There’s room for career advancement – There is plenty of room for upward movement once you become a dental assistant. You can become a dental hygienist or dental lab technician in just two years after taking the proper courses. If you hold the proper certifications, you might even work your way up to becoming an instructor, teaching the next generation of dental assistants!
- You can have a job anywhere – As a dental assistant, you can work pretty much anywhere in the US—after all, there are dental offices everywhere! This level of flexibility and versatility is very appealing and not something offered by most jobs.
About the Green Country School of Dental Assisting
Our staff here at the Green Country School of Dental Assisting has assisted countless aspiring dental assistants in learning the ins and outs of the field and making a seamless transition into their new careers! If you have any questions about the blog or you’d like to get in touch with us to request additional information, feel free to visit our website or give us a call today for assistance! Telephone: (918) 343-7188.