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Dental Assistant

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Health Care

Dental Assistant

QUALIFICATIONS

A certificate, high school or General Educational Development (GED) diploma, or Associate’s degree in “Dental Assisting” entailing 10 months to 2 years of study or Dental Assistant certifications like the National Entry Level Dental Assistant (NELDA) or Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) accredited by a nationally recognized certifying body, such as Dental Assisting National Board (DANB), Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA); and/or Dental Assistant – On the Job Training (OJT) programs, Apprenticeships, Dental & Oral Healthcare Workforce Job Training or Experience; that include topics covering oral health & hygiene, human anatomy, morphology & physiology, infection control, radiation health and safety, general chair-side and surgery assistance, good working knowledge of medical terminology, basic medical functions and applications like developing Radiographs (Dental X-Rays), application of Coronal polish, sealants and topical fluoride, teeth impressions, isolations, and restorative functions. etc.; besides prescription drug administration, basic nursing, comforting, counseling & handling of and post-surgery oral care & hygiene communication with patients; providing chair-side, surgery, orthodontics & pediatric assistance, and other administrative functions.

AVERAGE HOURLY PAY
(Credits: www.payscale.com)

Entry-level (0-12 months) $ 14.22
Early career (1-4 years) $ 16.02
Mid-career (5-9 years) $ 18.04
Experienced (10+ years) $ 19.60

PROJECTED GROWTH
(Credits: www.bls.gov)

Dental Assistant is an in-demand occupation, in which employment is projected to grow at a decent 7 percent from 2019 to 2029.

SKILLS/ TRAITS NEEDED

Besides good oral care & hygiene and dental medical knowledge, and basic nursing skills, the Dental Assistant must be proactive, agile, and alert with a high degree of patience, perseverance and have great listening, interpersonal, communication, and administrative skills; besides compassion, dexterity, time management & prioritization; and most importantly be extremely flexible and committed to performing the Dental Assistant duties and responsibilities. They are expected to have a good working knowledge of medical terminology, besides being “hands-on” in basic dental assistance procedures and prescription drug administration; be self-organized and liaise & report effectively and efficiently with the Medical Team and the patient’s household taking care of the oral health, well being, and safety of the patients.

WORK FUNCTIONS

Dental Assistants play a vital role in the health care system performing a mix of administrative duties and providing clinical support. A typical workday of a Dental Assistant may entail assisting the patients, and supporting the Medical Team with oral exams, developing Radiographs (Dental X-Rays), basic non-invasive medical functions and applications like Coronal polish, sealants, and topical fluoride, teeth impressions, isolations, sealants, temporaries, and restorative functions, etc.; besides prescription drug administration, basic nursing, comforting, counseling & handling, and post-surgery oral care & hygiene communication with patients, providing chair-side, surgery, orthodontics & pediatric assistance, attending to dental emergencies, while alerting and reporting progress or changes in the patient’s oral health to the nurse, doctor, or physician. Administrative responsibilities include scheduling appointments, welcoming patients, attending telephone calls, using computer applications, updating and filing patient medical records, filling out insurance forms and other paperwork, arranging for hospital admissions and laboratory services, handling correspondence, billing, and book-keeping, etc.

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