Rewarding Benefits of Becoming a Dental Assistant
Date: October 25, 2022
Do you want a career in healthcare and the chance to help people feel better about themselves? Then, a Dental Assistant education may be an option worth exploring. Whether you are soon finishing high school or thinking about a career change, you deserve a vocation commensurate with your passion level. In addition to doing something you love, there are benefits to pursuing an occupation as a Dental Assistant. Listed below are several of these benefits.
Perks of the Profession
1. Dental Assistants Help People
First, individuals serving in healthcare most often work directly with people. If you’re considering a career as a Dental Assistant, you are probably someone who aims to impact others’ lives. A future in this industry could allow you to tangibly make a difference and provide critical services that may boost others’ confidence every day. Not only will you be supporting others’ well-being, but part of your job will be to instruct and demonstrate best practices for oral self-care. Patients may take these tips `home` to implement, improve, and maintain oral hygiene. There’s no better feeling than knowing you’ve helped someone with something relevant to their health and self-esteem.
2. The Dental Industry is Growing
Second, chances are job security is a significant consideration when weighing which career path is right for you. It’s vital to learn marketable job skills that are useful and address essential needs. Education as a Dental Assistant is an example of an occupation utilizing abilities that will continue to be needed within every community. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, this profession is expected to grow by 11 percent from 2020—2030.1 To review future job growth in your area, visit Career One Stop’s occupational profile search tool. As long as people possess teeth and gums, they’ll likely require dependable, trustworthy, good oral healthcare.
3. Dental Assistants Perform a Variety of Tasks
Third, many people dread a job doing the same repetitive tasks every day. One gratifying feature of a Dental Assisting vocation is that one can be responsible for various duties. Generally, no two days will likely be the same. Dental Assistant duties can range from administering a multitude of supportive care and educating patients under a dentist’s supervision to overseeing patients’ dental records. For those who crave learning and switching up their daily routines, the following are a sampling of a Dental Assistant’s common occupational duties:2
- Intraoral Photography
- Negative/Positive Impression Reproduction
- Infection Control Protocols
- Traditional and Digital Radiography
- Four-handed Dentistry
- Coronal Polishing Procedures
- Restorative Procedures
- Tooth Whitening Procedures
- Dental Specialty Procedures
- Electronic Health Records.
Patients and dentists rely on Dental Assistants, which means they need acumen in administrative and clinical tasks. This variety of work duties generates multiple opportunities to learn and progress within the dental industry.
4. Flexible Scheduling is Often Possible For Dental Assistants
Fourth, is flexible scheduling needed in your career? A ‘9–5’ job is not for everyone. Whereby a future as a Dental Assistant could provide one the malleability to adjust working arrangements considering outside responsibilities and commitments. If work-life balance is essential to you, know that Dental Assistants most often have opportunities to work part-time or flexible schedules.2
There are multiple places one could work within the occupation. Choosing a venue may depend on which setting fits one best. Dentistry has numerous specialties that allow Dental Assistants to perform different aspects upon various patients. As a Dental Assistant, one may pick from options within multiple venues. These may include pediatric, cosmetic, orthodontic, endodontic, oral surgery, or other public health practices. Working within varied dental settings generally allows one to apply their education and diverse job experiences personally and uniquely.
Start Your Education at Gurnick Academy
Are you ready to begin pursuing a vocation you love? At Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts, students can complete our Dental Assistant program in as little as *8 months. Contact us to learn more about how you can start the application process today.~
*32 Indicates Approved Instructional Weeks
Citations:
1 “Dental Assistants.” Occupational Outlook Handbook. US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Sept. 8, 2021. (Accessed Dec. 16, 2021.)
2^ a, b “About Dental Assisting.” Dental Assisting National Board, Inc. 2021. (Accessed Dec. 16, 2021.)
