Becoming a dental assistant is said to be one of the most lucrative career options these days. Studies conducted by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reveal that from now until the year 2018, there will be more than 80,000 job openings for these dental hygiene professionals alone. It is no wonder then why more students are shifting to dental assisting course. In addition, even those who are presently employed in allied medical fields are open to the idea of changing careers.
In this light, what are the reasons more people are willing to leave their present jobs in order to join the dental assisting industry?
Opportunities in Dental Assisting
A career in dental assisting offers various opportunities financially and employment-wise:
Fast-paced and dynamic working environment. If you are passionate about disseminating information on how to care for our teeth, then a career as a dental assistant is for you. Chairside assisting is the primary role that a this health care professional does – hand in dental instruments and keep patients’ mouths dry. Apart from these, assistants may also be allowed to perform removal of sutures and application of dental anesthetics on patients’ gums. They also make casts, teeth, and mouth impressions if a patient needs to wear teeth braces.
This job also entails a lot of patient interaction because assistants also perform administrative tasks such as patient scheduling and appointment, maintenance of dental records and files, billing, and receiving and making patients comfortable during the dental visit.
Fantastic salary potential and benefits. Dentist assistants generally receive an average salary of $40,000 per annum. However, depending on experience and qualifications, Sweden Dentist Prices this amount can go down to about $19,000 for inexperienced assistants and can go as high as $70,000 or higher for assistants with specializations.
In addition to high salary opportunities, as these assistants enjoy a range of benefits including paid vacation Pre Dental Programs leaves, insurance benefits, pension plans, profit sharing, and continuing education assistance, among others.
Employment potentials. Because more dentists are setting up their own private practices instead of working for government hospitals, the need for these professionals continues to grow and is even expected to reach more than 400,000 by 2018 from the current dental assistant population of 295,000 practitioners.
Another thing that makes the profession attractive to would-be assistants is how it enables one to practice anywhere in the US. It is a mobile job that allows you to transfer and work in any State as long as you have the necessary certifications. In addition, full-time and part-time working conditions are available, thus, you can work as a freelance dental assistant working for several dental offices, that is, working as a travelling assistant is one of your goals.
Career growth opportunities. If you are looking for advancement in your chosen career, then this is the job for you. You do not have to remain an assistant all throughout your job as there are various ways on how to advance in this field.
Some of those who have already been practicing as dental assistants have been promoted to positions such as office managers, dental treatment coordinators, anesthesia technicians, and specialty assistants or those handling more complex dental assisting procedures such as oral surgery and orthodontics.
With these in mind, begin your training course and reap the rewards of becoming a high-class dentist assistant.