Dental Assistant

Duties and responsibilities:

• 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 infection control protocol and preparing and sterilizing instruments and equipment
• helping patients feel comfortable before, during and after dental treatment
• providing patients with instructions for oral care following surgery or other dental treatment procedures, such as the placement of a restoration (filling)
• teaching patients appropriate oral hygiene strategies to maintain oral health;
• (e.g., tooth brushing, flossing and nutritional counseling)
• taking impressions of patients' teeth for study casts (models of teeth)
• performing office management tasks that often require the use of a personal computer
• communicating with patients and suppliers (e.g., scheduling appointments, answering the telephone, billing and ordering supplies)
• helping to provide direct patient care in all dental specialties, including orthodontics, pediatric dentistry, periodontics and oral surgery

Salary: $34,500

Educational Requirements: can range from a high school diploma to the completion of a postsecondary training program

Demand for profession :Licensure and/or certification might be required by some state

Picture:

Reflection: I would not want to be a dental assistant because they don't get paid a lot.