The varied responsibilities and differences in day-to-day activities make the choice of dental assistant a challenging and exciting career path. Dental assisting offers excellent career opportunities for nontraditional students including those who are in their mid-twenties or older and those seeking a career change.
Daily Activities
A dental assistant will often work under the direct supervision of a dentist. Duties will be influenced by the size of the office where you work. In smaller dental practices you may assist with clerical activities requiring the use of computers for scheduling patient appointment times, retrieving files necessary to prepare for patient appointments and ordering supplies.
If working in a larger practice perhaps they may get involved in dental equipment prep, taking and developing x-rays, taking impressions of patient’s teeth and assisting in post-surgical care.
As patients arrive for their appointments, collecting information in private is one duty of a dental assistant. Gathering insurance information and updating patient history prior to the examination is one important duty they fill. Pre-exam patient assessment is performed including seeing if the patient has any areas of concern such as any problems they are experiencing or cavities that need fillings. Dental assistants will also prepare the exam room by ensuring that sinks, counters and chairs are properly sterilized. Some other pre-exam tasks include having the patient’s file folder ready for the dentist and having medical images displayed for the dentist to review.
Assisting with Procedures
Dental assistants often remain in the room throughout the exam and play a significant role during the examination. They will assist in various tasks including handling the dental instruments during the exam. Keeping patients calm before, during and after the exam is also another important task of a dental assistant. They also participate in teaching patient’s oral hygiene strategies to maintain and improve oral health.
The role of a dental assistant is an essential part of every dental practice and can be a very rewarding job. Dental assistants are in demand and many opportunities are available for both part-time and full-time employment. This field also provides a level of satisfaction in knowing that you have helped someone with a valuable health service.
If this sounds like the right career path for you take a moment to look into our Dental Assistant Program at ACHT available at our Riverside campus where we proudly serve the Corona, Moreno Valley, and the Glen Avon communities.
American College of Healthcare and Technology has two convenient locations.
Our Huntington Park campus proudly serves the following communities: Bell, Bell Gardens, Compton, Southgate, Los Angeles, Vernon, Maywood, Cudahy, Florence, South Central LA, Watts, Lynwood, City of industry, Lawndale, Paramount, Inglewood, Commerce, Downy, Norwalk, Santa Fe Springs, Carson, Long Beach, Bellflower, Pico Rivera, Montebello, Whittier, Gardena, Hawthorne, El Monte, La Puente, Monterrey Park.
Our Riverside campus proudly serves the following communities: Corona, Moreno Valley, Norco, Lake Elsinore, Perris, La Sierra, Arlington, Jurupa Valley, Rialto, Pedley, Mira Loma, Rubidoux, Bloomington, Colton, San Bernardino, Redlands, Wildomar, Temecula, Murrieta, Loma Linda, Fontana, Grand Terrace, and Glen Avon.
11801 Pierce St., Suite 100
Riverside, California 92505
(951) 729-5320
6606 Pacific Blvd, Suite 204
Huntington Park, California 90255
(323) 585-9000