If you are planning to make a career as a Dental Assistant, you would wish to know the benefits and requirements that are associated with it. Starting a career in oral hygiene is a reputed job and you can go ahead with it.
The dental assistants need to have great interpersonal skills and they choose to work with their hands instead of sitting at a desk. Their job responsibility includes keeping an eye for detail, maintaining outstanding mastery, and acting as a support when the patients get treated. The benefits of this job are a bright job perspective and career resilience. If you are interested in offering help to others, you can go with this profession.
About Dental Assistant
A dental assistant does a major duty in dental health profile. Right from disinfecting instruments to taking dental X-rays and helping the dentist during exams, all these are dental assistant jobs duties. They are responsible for putting various groups of patients in their comfort zone, providing motivation to patients who are aged.
Job role of Dental Assistant
Dental assistants also have an important role in the dental office, providing support to dentists when they are looking and treating patients. An extra helping hand to the dentist, in simple terms! The job role of an assistant varies according to the location and employer but the basic job roles include the following:
- Ensuring the comfort of patients in the dental chair
- Preparing patients and the work area for remedies and procedures
- Assisting the oral surgeries
- Neutering the dental instruments
- Handing instruments to the dentist during operations
- Evacuating oral cavities and keeping patient’s mouth dry
- Making dental impressions
- Recommending patients in oral hygiene
- Taking and processing dental X-rays and lab tasks
- Installing fixed prosthodontics
- Maintaining entities for dental practice
- Working with bills and payment with patients
- Planning patient appointments
Difference between assistant and hygienist
There is a difference in the profession of a dental assistant and dental hygienist. The former one works under the keeping of dentists and provide assistance to dental hygienist with their regular activities. The latter one has numerous job duties and responsibilities. Since the dental assistants aid the oral hygiene team, the hygienist does the cleaning of teeth, looks after patients to see the signs of oral diseases, and provides other dental care.
They both also have differences in terms of education. The dental assistant has to complete an accredited program and pass an exam. Some states don’t demand a formal education as many employers prefer to hire qualified applicants only. On the other hand, the hygienist needs to get an associate degree in dental hygiene. They must have a license in all states. There is also a difference in salary of both.
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Skills required
If you are planning to become a dental assistant, here are some soft skills that are mainly required!
- The DA should have a detail-oriented nature and must follow the specific rules and protocols when providing a helping hand to dentists
- The skills are required as the dental assistants have to work in tight quarters on a small body part by using precise tools and equipment.
- The dental assistant should also have interpersonal skills as they work very close to the dentist and patients. Along with it, the assistant should also have listening skills so that they can carefully listen to patients and other healthcare workers. The directions should be properly followed.
- Organizational skills are required by the dental assistant so that no mistake should be made with the tools for a dentist or hygienist when the patient is receiving treatment.
Qualifications
There are many routes to get Dental Assistant jobs for freshers. It truly depends on the employer and location. Like some states demand the assistant to get a graduation degree from a formal or accredited program and pass an exam. Not every state has such a list of requirements.
How to become a dental assistant?
To become a registered dental assistant, there are simply three routes with each requiring a different level of time and commitment. The time duration of becoming a formal dental assistant takes 9 months – 2 years for completion, depending on whether it is a diploma or degree program.
The first option is to do the on-job training. You can get the experience through the on-job training. A dental assistant in the office will help you with the dental terminology, instrument details. Also in some states, graduation from a dental assisting certificate or diploma program is required. Some schools also offer an associate degree program for aspiring dental assistants. The general education courses are connected with the dental assistant education in these degree programs. These are the qualifications required to become a Dental Assistant.
