Is Dental Assisting the Right Career for You?

First, what exactly is a dental assistant? He/she plays an important role as the first line of defense in dental care often becoming a dentist's second pair of hands. The dental assistant mixes dental materials, exchanges instruments and provides oral evacuation during dental procedures. An equally important role of the chair side dental assistant is to make the patient comfortable and relaxed. He/she is a key player and takes on significant responsibility as a member of the dental healthcare team. Assistants greatly increase the efficiency of the dentist in the delivery of quality oral healthcare to patients.

Duties include:

• Preparation of dental restorative materials
• Helping with patient care
• Exposing, processing and mounting dental x-rays
• Infection control
• Making temporary crowns
• Taking impressions
• Making stone models
• Supply inventory