Dental Assistant
A career fullof opportunity.
Dental assistants greatly increase the efficiency of the dentist in the delivery of quality oral health care — according to the ADA — and are valuable members of the dental care team.
What dental assistants do.
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 duties of a dental assistant are among the most comprehensive and varied in the dental office. Although state regulations vary, responsibilities may include:
Day to day
- 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 protocol, preparing and sterilizing instruments and equipment
- Helping patients feel comfortable before, during, and after dental treatment
And beyond
- Providing patients with instructions for oral care following surgery or other procedures
- Teaching patients appropriate oral hygiene strategies to maintain oral health
- Taking impressions of patients’ teeth for study casts
- Performing office management tasks, scheduling, billing, and ordering supplies
- Providing direct patient care in all dental specialties
Where you can work
Practice settings
Solo dental practices, group practices, and specialty practices — oral surgery, orthodontics, endodontics, periodontics, prosthodontics, and pediatric dentistry.
Public health & hospitals
Schools and clinics focused on preventing dental problems in entire communities, plus hospital dental clinics treating bedridden patients.
Beyond the chairside
Insurance claim processing, teaching at vocational schools and dental schools, and dental product sales.
Employment opportunities in this field are excellent. 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, and pharmacy assistants — depending primarily upon the responsibilities of the specific position and the geographic location of employment (Bureau of Labor Statistics, US News).
Your career starts here
Join 2,000+ graduates working in dental offices across the Valley.
4915 West Bell Road Suite #F200, Glendale, AZ 85308 · (602) 678-7061
