Every healthcare professional needs a qualified team to give their patients the top-quality care they deserve. In the field of dentistry, dental assistants that manage the office, tackle the essential administrative and clinical responsibilities that are part of every patient visit. As science learns more about the importance of oral care and overall health, the demand for dental assistants is growing. Is it a worthwhile career? It is, and this is why.
What Do Dental Assistants Do?
Dental assistants work side-by-side with dentists and dental hygienists, providing critical clerical and clinical support. Typical responsibilities include:
Overseeing the Schedule
Effective scheduling is more than just making appointments, it’s about allocating practice resources in ways that maximize revenue and enhance patient satisfaction. With both administrative and clinical expertise, dental assistants manage the schedule like a symphony, making the most of limited equipment and human resources to provide prompt care while keeping the practice profitable. It’s a win-win for both staff and patients.
Welcoming Patients
Many adults report skipping dental appointments because of stress or dental phobia. However, when the first person patients see is a knowledgeable and friendly dental assistant, they’re more likely to feel at ease. By demystifying the oral care process, dental assistants help patients feel comfortable and engaged, encouraging future visits and better long-term oral health.
Taking X-rays
Each state determines what dental assistants can do. Some allow them to take x-rays with additional training while others limit their responsibilities to managing equipment and developing film. However, because radiography is vital to diagnosing oral care issues, such as cavities and abscesses, most dental assistants will help with at least part of the process, including patient preparation and education.
Infection Control
Dental assistants safeguard patient health by ensuring the office environment is as clean as possible. Instruments and equipment can harbor dangerous pathogens if they’re not properly sanitized, even a dirty waiting area can spread common infections.
Using their clinical know-how and the latest techniques, a dental assistant disinfects equipment, instruments, and exam room between patients, preventing the potential spread of disease.
Ordering Supplies
Proper dental care is only possible with the right supplies. Because dental assistants understand both the administrative and clinical needs of their practice, they’re the ideal team member to order and restock supplies.
Billing and Insurance Claims
With the cost of dentistry rising, the use of dental insurance plans is increasing. To keep pace, practices hire both billing specialists and dental assistants to do a range of tasks from obtaining pre-authorizations to filing direct claims.
Unlike medical care, which is mostly funded through third parties, affording oral care can be more challenging. Dental assistants help patients by working with their insurers and assisting with private financing options.
Managing Dental Records
Dental procedures come with many of the same risks as medical services, and it’s essential to ensure patients are in good physical condition. Before each visit, it’s a dental assistant’s job to screen patients for illnesses and review recent changes in their health, including allergies and any new medications they may be taking.
During treatments, dental assistants sit chairside and take notes. By keeping detailed records of the services performed, they help dentists make safer and more efficient treatment decisions.
Coronal Polishing
Dental assistants can’t clean teeth in most states, but they can perform coronal polishing above the gum line. Coronal polishing removes surface stains, but it’s more than just an aesthetic procedure, it smooths out imperfections on the surface of teeth that can harbor bacteria and contribute to decay.
Helping in the Lab
Dental offices produce dentures and appliances using in-house laboratories. Dental assistants are qualified to clean dentures and bridges, take mouth impressions, and make orthodontic appliances.
Chairside Assistance
Both dentists and dental hygienists need an extra pair of hands to do their job. Dental assistants help by passing instruments, managing suction, hold devices, and observe patients for emergency needs.
Patient Education
Despite the growing importance of dentistry in overall health, the public is largely unaware of the link. While nearly most adults say seeing a doctor at regular intervals is important, fewer say the same about the dentist.
Among a dental assistant’s most meaningful responsibilities is patient education. They help patients learn more about oral care topics, including:
- How to brush and floss
- Choosing the right toothbrush
- Preventing gum disease
- Nutrition for dental health
- Caring for dentures and orthodontic appliances
- Restoration procedures and financing
- Acute dental conditions
Why is Dental Assisting a Great Career?
Jobs provide a paycheck, but careers offer meaning and lifelong personal benefits. Dental assistants enjoy:
A Quick Start
Full-time dental assisting students can be out of the classroom and ready to earn in under a year. Vocational schools offer lifestyle-friendly programs, career counseling services and job placement assistance.
A Strong Job Market
The demand for dental assistants is expected to rise by more than 8 percent in the next decade, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Today’s graduates can expect a vibrant job market and diverse opportunity.
A Monday Through Friday Schedule
Working in healthcare can be exhausting. Many doctors and nurses consider different careers because of the stress of 24/7 responsibilities. Most dentists, however, keep regular weekday hours, and emergency duty is limited. Dental assistants can expect a traditional Monday through Friday schedule with evenings, weekends, and holidays off. It’s an excellent career for working parents of school-age children.
Opportunities for Professional Growth
Dental assisting can be a lifelong career or just one step toward higher learning. With experience and additional training, dental assistants can rise to more responsible positions, becoming office managers or clinical supervisors. Some choose to build on their learning by becoming dental hygienists.
A Sense of Purpose
There’s no greater sense of satisfaction for staff than to feel like what they do matters. Whether it’s chatting with patients about their dental concerns or saving smiles with cutting-edge technology, a dental assistant is a valuable member of a team dedicated to promoting the best in dental care. Jobs pay the bills, but careers are a mission.
Final Thoughts
Choosing an occupation is exciting, but it’s also a big step. It’s critical to ask the right questions. How does the job market look? Which skills are the most marketable? Will a field meet my changing needs?
No one knows for sure what the future holds, but in a world with so many promising careers, students with a passion for oral care should ask, is becoming a dental assistant worth it? It is, and there’s no better time to get started.
Want to Learn More?
The Dental Assistant training program at Meridian College provides extensive hands-on training including a school externship at a dental office where you will assist the dentist in treating actual patients.
Meridian College also has dedicated school instructors, which offer you training in dental assisting that you can use to get an entry-level position at a dentist office or dental clinic. You get to work in real world situations and use your training from classroom lectures to further your skill during lab work in dental assisting.
Contact Meridian College today to learn more about becoming a dental assistant.