Dental Assisting as a Career: Something to Smile About

The dental assistant takes on significant responsibility as a member of the dental health care team. Assistants greatly increase the efficiency of the dentist in the delivery of quality oral health care and are valuable members of the dental care team. If you have strong communication skills, enjoy working with your hands as well as your mind and want a career with responsibility, dental assisting is for you.

The best way to become a dental assistant is to receive formal education. Studying in a Commission on Dental Accreditation accredited program provides education that is based on the latest procedures and techniques.

In some areas of the country, dental assistants can begin their careers without a college degree; however, education is encouraged. Assistants often have considerable freedom to choose their own hours. So if a career in health care and 1year of formal education appeals to you, then dental assisting is a career you will want to explore.

A career as a dental assistant offers many challenges. In addition to assisting the dentist during a variety of procedures, other specific tasks dental assistants may perform include taking and developing dental radiographs (x-rays), sterilizing instruments and equipment and taking impressions of patients' teeth.

What Do Dental Assistants Do?

The duties of a dental assistant are among the most comprehensive and varied in the dental office. The dental assistant performs many tasks requiring both interpersonal and technical skills. Although state regulations vary, some specific tasks dental assistants may perform include:

• assisting the dentist during a variety of treatment procedures;

• taking and developing dental radiographs (x-rays);

• asking about the patient's medical history and taking blood pressure and pulse;

• serving as an infection control officer, developing infection control protocol and preparing and sterilizing instruments and equipment;

• helping patients feel comfortable before, during and after dental treatment;

• providing patients with instructions for oral care following surgery or other dental treatment procedures, such as the placement of a restoration (filling);

• teaching patients appropriate oral hygiene strategies to maintain oral health; (e.g., tooth brushing, flossing and nutritional counseling);

• taking impressions of patients' teeth for study casts (models of teeth);

• performing office management tasks that often require the use of a personal computer;

• communicating with patients and suppliers (e.g., scheduling appointments, answering the telephone, billing and ordering supplies); and

• assisting with and helping to provide direct patient care in all dental specialties, including orthodontics, pediatric dentistry, periodontics and oral surgery.

What Are the Advantages of a Dental Assisting Career?

• Variety: Dental assistants have one of the most diverse and interesting of all positions in a dental office. Dental assisting is a challenging and rewarding career, demanding versatility and a willingness to assume responsibility for many different tasks.

• Flexibility: Since dental assistants are in demand, career options include both full-time and part-time positions

• Excellent working conditions: Dental offices are interesting, pleasant, people-oriented environments in which to work.

• Personal satisfaction: Dental assisting involves people contact, and with this personal interaction comes the personal satisfaction of knowing you've really helped someone by helping to provide a valuable health service.

Where Do Dental Assistants Work?

Since many dentists employ two or more dental assistants, employment opportunities in this field are excellent. The types of practice settings available to dental assistants include:

• solo dental practices (practices with only one dentist);

• group practices (practices with two or more dentists);

• specialty practices, such as oral and maxillofacial surgery (removal of teeth and correction of facial deformities), orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics (straightening teeth with braces or other appliances), endodontics (root canal treatment), periodontics (treatment of gum problems), prosthodontics (replacement of lost teeth) and pediatric dentistry (treatment of children);

• public health dentistry, including settings such as schools and clinics which focus on the prevention of dental problems within entire communities;

• hospital dental clinics, assisting dentists in the treatment of bedridden patients; and

• dental school clinics, assisting dental students as they learn to perform dental procedures;

Other career opportunities for dental assistants include:

• insurance companies, processing dental insurance claims;

• vocational schools, technical institutes, community colleges dental schools and universities, teaching others to be dental assistants (which may require associate or baccalaureate college degrees); and

• dental product sales representatives.

What Education/Training Does a Dental Assistant Need?

It takes a relatively short period of time to become a dental assistant. International School of Health & Beauty’s Dental Assistant program is an excellent way to graduate and obtain a job in this lucrative career.

Accreditation

The ISHB Florida is accredited by Council on Occupational Education.

Dental assistants may be the most valuable asset to a dental practice. In addition to performing technical duties, they play an important role in helping patients feel comfortable before, during and after dental treatment.

Certification

Dental assistants can become certified by passing an examination that evaluates their knowledge. Most dental assistants who choose to become nationally certified take the Dental Assisting National Board's (DANB) Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) examination. Becoming a Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) assures the public that the dental assistant is prepared to assist competently in the provision of dental care.

What Is a Dental Assistant's Earning Potential?

The salary of a dental assistant depends primarily upon the responsibilities associated with the specific position and the geographic location of employment.

Dental assistants earn salaries equal to other health care personnel with similar training and experience such as medical assistants, physical therapy assistants, occupational therapy assistants, veterinary technicians and pharmacy assistants.

Massage therapy training is one of the fastest growing allied health professions. In fact, massage therapy career employment will grow faster than average, increasing 21 to 35 percent between 2002 and 2012 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Related professions, including physical therapy are growing as well.  Physical therapists held approximately 237,000 jobs in 2005.

If you are uncertain of the type of bodywork you want to pursue, getting an education as a massage therapist first is a great way to begin and to set the groundwork for your future career. You can easily expand from your massage therapy training, and add new therapies to your practice in the future.

What are you taught at massage therapy training?

Massage therapy education is offered at International School of Health and Beauty. The general curriculum for a massage therapy program covers many different areas from both arts and sciences.

You can expect to study in areas such as:

Medical Administrative Assistant (Online)
The Medical Administrative Assistant Program will prepare students for work in the pre-hospital and hospital environments, physicians’ offices, urgent care facilities, and nursing homes. The Medical Administrative Assistant program is taught via distance learning .The Medical Administrative program as the name suggests trains students only on the administrative side of Medical Assisting. With the healthcare field being so vast we have seen the growing demand for programs that would facilitate the students to pursue careers in the healthcare industry without having to perform the clinical duties. This online program would impart the Administrative skills pertaining to the medical assisting field via distance learning.


Employment Opportunities:
Medical Administrative Assistant is one of the FASTEST growing occupations and growth is expected to accelerate more than the average for all occupations, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. According to the Bureau, in 2000, there were 329,000 clinical and administrative medical assistants working in the United states. Students who graduate from an accredited medical program after graduation are extremely marketable. Graduates will be prepared to perform traditional medical administrative responsibilities including greeting patients, scheduling appointments, filing records, purchasing supplies and equipment, patient admissions, and insurance billing and coding. Most of this work will be done using computers and special healthcare computer programs.