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Dental Assistants need to be detail oriented as well as
patient and alert. They may have to sit for hours while a procedure is being
completed or jump into the situation in an instant if an emergency occurs while
the procedure is being conducted.
Typical tasks Dental Assistants need to perform include
sterilizing instruments and preparing instrument trays for procedures. They
also work closely with patients, taking dental and health histories. Depending
on the procedures, vital signs of patients may be monitored by a Dental
Assistant. They also help document patient records, take X-Rays, and give
patients information on follow up care. In some offices they also make
impressions of teeth to assist with making casts for caps, crowns, and
dentures.
Dental Assistants often work right along side the dentist
and hygienist. Starting with making patients feel comfortable and prepping them
for procedures. Assistants hand the dentist and hygienist instruments and
materials, allowing them to remain focused on the patient throughout the
procedure. It is the job of the Dental Assistant to make sure the work station
has all the necessary equipment and tools to complete each procedure to prevent
delays and feelings of anxiety in patients.
In a crunch, Dental Assistants may be asked to assist with
office duties including answering the phone, reminding patients of
appointments, scheduling appointments, answering billing questions, and
submitting insurance claims. It really depends on how your employer has the
dental office operating.
Dental Assistants generally work with dentists and
hygienists in a clean, friendly environment that is well lit. Since the work
chair side to the dentist and hygienist, Dental Assistants learn many avenues
of proper dental procedures. Many just might be able to do them as well as any
dentist or hygienist, however, they are not allowed to because they are not
certified.
Knowing this, many Dental Assistants choose to further their
education in the medical field. They may decide to pursue being a Dental
Hygienist or a Dentist. This will allow them to perform many of the procedures
they have seen performed over and over again. Watching this process with make
their educational endeavor much easier as they will already have seen so many
aspects of the dental field in action.
Another reason Dental Assistants choose to further their
career is the difference in pay. Generally, Dental Hygienists earn 80% more
than a Dental Assistant. Over time, that amount of money definitely adds up to
quite a large difference. Dentists of course make much more money that the
Dental Assistant and Dental Hygienist combined.
A career as a Dental Assistant allows you the unique and
rewarding opportunity to participate in the dental field on many levels. You
will not only have many responsibilities, you will first hand be up close to
assist Dental Hygienists and Dentists perform the many different procedures
that take place in a dental setting. This ongoing training is the perfect
learning tool to enable you to further your education with a solid foundation
in the dental field to build on.
Become a Dental Assistant to Explore the World of Dentistry - Innakaghaitsa.com