Dental assistants perform a number of different types of services including patient care, administrative duties, and laboratory duties. In essence, a typical day in the life of DA includes scheduling patients, receiving patients, keeping records, sending bills and receiving payments as well as ordering supplies. Dental assistants must also know how to make casts of a patient's teeth and mouth, as well as clean and polish removable appliances, and make temporary crowns. And as far as patient care, they must prepare the patient for their procedure and have their records ready as well as hand instruments to dentists, sterilize and disinfect instruments and equipment, and occasionally remove sutures or apply anesthetics. But they don't perform the same tasks as dental hygienists. Hygienists are certified and perform a number of other duties.
Training for DAs
Most dental assistants gain their knowledge and skills from training programs as well as on the job. They will study subjects including health, biology, and chemistry. As for requirements to become a dental assistant, that is entirely dependent on the state individuals reside or wish to work in. Most states regulate the tasks that assistants perform in the office. In order to become a licensed dental assistant, individuals will need to attend an accredited program and pass a written or practical examination. And many states require assistants to attend continuing education courses in order to maintain their license and registration. But on the other hand, some states allow them to do any task the dentist delegates to them.
Careers in Dental Assisting
Job prospects look excellent for dental assistants because more dentists will be hiring assistants in order to perform routine tasks so dentists may focus on more complex procedures. And work schedules are entirely dependent on the dental office they work at. Some assistants work evenings or on Saturdays while others work between the hours of nine to five and have weekends and holidays off. So it’s important for usually pretty nice for assistants because they work when the dentist works which is usually between the hours of 9 and 5 and they generally have holidays off and sometimes weekends. And some assistants will work part-time and others full time. Some assistants will even work for multiple dentists in order to get in extra hours. There are many career opportunities for dental assistants in locations such as dental offices, physician’s offices, and even for state or federal government.
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