What is a Dental Assistant?
Have you ever wondered who that nice person is who walks you back to the operatory and assists the dentist with all his needs is called? Well that lovely person would be what we call a dental assistant.
I spent many years as a dental assistant and I can tell you that they are a key to the dentist success when working with patients. He or she is the first person you will interact with, the one who keeps you company while you’re waiting for the dentist and often the person walking you to the front office to schedule your next treatment.
What Does Training Look Like?
A dental assistant can obtain their training in several different ways. One way that I happen to come across my certification is by attending the American Red Cross dental Assisting program in Baumholder Germany with the US Army. This training was for one year and allowed me to practice each area of dentistry and to obtain my dental X-ray certification. Some other ways to obtain this training can be the local community schools in your area and some people have even been trained from day one in a dental office to become a dental assistant.
What Duties Does a Dental Assistant Perform?
What duties does a dental assistant perform in a dental office? A dental assistant has many duties inside of a dental office. Often times they are the person keeping you company and going over what procedure you are in the treatment room for. A dental assistant aids the dentist in passing him/her the instruments and materials needed for the procedure that they are performing. He or she is also the one that can tell you about new products in the dentistry like whitening, jet flossers ect to help maintain any treatment your currently doing.
A dental assistant is also often certified in taking dental X-rays needed to diagnosis treatment planning and also the person who is overseeing OSHA standards to keep the treatment area clean and neat for each patient. Without a dental assistant to help a dentist the tasks at hand would be a lot more challenging for a dentist to complete.
Did you Know?
Did you know that a dental assistant is needed in all specialities of dentistry and that each specialty has its own special skill sets needed to perform the job. There is a general dentist who does the fillings, crowns, exams and diagnosis problems that a specialist would need to get involved. Those specialties that a dental assistant is also needed include, Orthodontist ( braces), Pedodontist (Childrens dental care), Periodontist (Gum care, dental implants), Prosthodonitst ( Restoring missing teeth and Jaw structures) and Oral Surgeon ( tooth extractions, implants and oral trauma).
In some states they have a what we call and EDDA which is an Expanded functions Dental Assistant. Colorado has this category of dental assistant in most offices. What are the benefits to having an EDDA on board in your practice you may be wondering? And EDDA is able to perform duties outside of a dental assistant as they attend extra schooling to allow for these expanded function ability. Some of these functions include but are not limited to applying sealants, placing fillings, taking scans with intra oral cameras and scanners and sometimes adjusting a patients bite.
There are many places to dive into a life of a dental assistant and why they have what I believe to be one of the most important jobs in a dental practice. I may be playing a bit of favoritism having been a dental assistant for many years but they are the rock to a solid foundation in a dental practice. I have a link to a very insightful website that dives in to everything you would want to know and understand about becoming an assistant, the day in the life and the opportunities beyond that once you get your feet wet in dentistry. The options are endless in the dental field.
https://www.dentalassitantlife.org/
A Potential Career Path
A dental assistant can be a great long term career with its typical four day a week schedule to also being a great stepping stone to other areas of dentistry. Did you know that being chair side with a dentist often peaks an assistants interest to go back to school to become either a dental hygienist or a dentist. I work with several dentist who started their career as a dental assistant. There are also paths you can take into a more managerial role in the practice as either treatment coordinator or an office manager. The great thing about the dental field is that there are endless options to include staying within the treatment side of dentistry or diving into the manufacturing and distribution side of dentistry. The opportunities are endless and that’s why I am thankful everyday that I got my start in dental as a dental assistant.
https://www.ada.org/en/education-careers/careers-in-dentistry/dental-team-careers/dental-assistant
