What are the Chair-Side Duties of a Dental Assistant?
Demand for dental assistants is expected to grow by 29 percent from 2006 through 2016, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. If working a daytime schedule in a medical environment while making a steady income sounds interesting, training to become a dental assistant may be worth considering.
Other People Are Reading
-
Dental Assistant Defined
-
Dental assistants are professionals who are trained to be a second pair of hands for a dentist, assisting in examinations and dental procedures. Basically, dental assistants make the clinical portion of the dental office run more smoothly so the dentist can focus strictly on patients. Dental assistants fill many behind-the-scenes duties before patients arriving for treatment and after the patient leaves the chair.
Chair-Side Duties
-
As a dental assistant, you will lay out all necessary instruments and dental materials, including numbing medications, amalgam and composite materials (for fillings). During dental procedures, you will be responsible for handing these various materials and instruments to the dentists as they are requested. You will be responsible for seeing that each instrument, as well as all dental equipment and machinery is properly functioning and sterilized between patients.
-
Additional Duties
-
Dental assistants are required to perform suction techniques and assist patients with rinsing their mouths. In addition, these professionals are also trained to take mouth X-rays, being careful to take precautions against harmful exposure for themselves and the patients. In some offices, dental assistants may be allowed to remove sutures, apply fluoride treatments for cavity prevention and polish teeth. Depending on the type of dental procedure a patient has received, dental assistants often explain care instructions. Generally, a dental assistant will take a mold impression of your mouth when you are having a tooth crowned. Once the crown is sealed into place, the dental assistant will scrape away any extraneous dental cement.
Other Expectations
-
Many people simply do not like to visit the dentist. Patients are often stressed, before and during procedures, particularly children. In addition to helping the dentist, one of the dental assistant's chair-side duties is to help calm patients and eliminate any fears they may have about the procedure. Because of this, empathy and good interpersonal skills are an asset to dental assistants.
Requirements and Salary
-
Certification through the Dental Assisting National Board is preferred. To qualify, candidates must pass a training program approved by the American Dental Association. Training programs can be found in many vocational schools and can be completed in six months or less. Some community colleges also offer the program as part of a two-year associate's degree. According to an August 2009 survey by payscale.com, most starting wages for a first-year dental assistant are between $9.53 and $12.56 an hour, depending on location.
-
