Dental Assistant (DA)

“Give a man a fish, feed him for a day; Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime.”

Nature of the Work

Dental assistants perform a variety of patient care, office, and laboratory duties. They work chairside as dentists examine and treat patients. They make patients as comfortable as possible in the dental chair, prepare them for treatment and obtain their dental records. Assistants hand instruments and materials to dentist and keep patients’ mouths dry and clear by using suction or other devices. Dental assistants also sterilize and disinfect instruments and equipment, prepare trays of instruments for dental procedures, and instruct patients on postoperative and general oral health care.

             Some dental assistants prepare materials for impressions and restorations, take dental X-rays, and process X-ray film as directed by a dentist. They also may remove sutures, apply typical anesthetics to gums or cavity-preventive agents to teeth, remove excess cement used in the filling process, and place rubber dams on the teeth to isolate

them for individual treatment.

             Those with laboratory duties make casts of the teeth and mouth from impressions, clean and polish removable appliances, and make temporary crowns. Dental assistants with office duties schedule and confirm appointments, receive patients, keep treatment records, send bills, receive payments, and order dental supplies and materials.

 

 

Working Conditions

             Dental assistants work in a well-lighted, clean environment. Their work area usually is near the dental chair so that they can arrange instruments, materials, and medication and hand them to the dentist when needed. Dental assistants must wear gloves, masks, eyewear, and protective clothing to protect themselves and their patients from infectious diseases. Assistants also follow safety procedures to minimize the risks associated with the use of X-ray machines.

             About half of dental assistants have a 35- to 40-hour workweek, which may include work on Saturdays or evenings.

 

 

Employment

Dental assistants held about 267,000 jobs in 2004. Almost all jobs for dental assistants were in offices of dentist. A small number of jobs were in the Federal, State, and local governments or in offices of physicians. About 2 out of 5 dental assistants worked part time, sometimes in more than one dental office.

 

 

Job Outlook

             Job prospects for dental assistants should be excellent. Employment is expected to grow much faster than average for all occupation through the year 2014. In fact, dental assistant is expected to be one of the fastest-growing occupations over the 2004-14 projection period.

 

 

Earnings

             Median hourly earnings of dental assistants were $13.62 an hour in May 2004. The middle 50 percent earned between $11.06 and $16.65 an hour. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $9.11, and the highest 10 percent earned more then $19.97 an hour.

 

 

- Information taken from the Occupational Outlook Handbook 2006-2007