Smile! With the right training, you could be on your way to a rewarding new career as a dental assistant.
Dental assistants work under the supervision of dentists. They perform a wide variety of patient care, office, and laboratory duties. They are not the same as dental hygienists, who are licensed to perform different clinical tasks.
Dental assistants with office duties may receive patients, schedule and confirm appointments, send bills, receive payments, keep treatment records, and order dental supplies and materials. Dental assistants may also work closely with the dentist during procedures to sterilize and disinfect instruments, take dental X-rays, and perform other tasks.
There is very good news about opportunities in dental assisting! According to the U.S. government, employment in dental assisting is expected to grow 29 percent from 2006 to 2016. Dental assistants are expected to be among the fastest growing occupations over the next decade.*
Check out career training opportunities on Education-For-Careers! You may find plenty to smile about.
*Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-09 Edition.