The Average Salary of Orthodontic Dental Assistants
Orthodontic dental assistants assist orthodontists by preparing and sterilizing dental tools, educating patients on orthodontic care, ensuring that patients are comfortable and safe during procedures, and helping the orthodontist as needed.
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Salary
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Orthodontic dental assistants with five to nine years of experience can expect to make between $21,336 and $29,487 annually, says PayScale, a company that compiles statistics on salaries. Entry-level orthodontic dental assistants can expect to start with a salary of at least $19,000 annually. These figures are current as of September 2010.
Outlook
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Although the Bureau of Labor Statistics does not have specific projections for orthodontic dental assistants, dental assisting as a whole is expected to grow rapidly. Because of increasing attention to dental care in youth and the fact that more people are keeping their own teeth into old age, the dental assisting profession is expected to grow by 36 percent between 2008 and 2018.
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Training
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Most orthodontists require that their assistants complete a one- to two-year dental assisting program accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation, according to the Education-Portal website. If the orthodontic dental assistant will be taking x-rays, additional licensing may be required in some states.
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References
- Photo Credit Happy with Braces image by DGGallery from Fotolia.com
