Dental Assistants are vital members of today’s busy dental health care teams, helping to increase the quality of patient care and the efficiency with which the dental office is run. They assist dentists and staff and provide direct patient care, ensuring that patients receive the highest caliber of oral health care. If you enjoy helping others and would like to work in a respected profession with solid job prospects, a career as a dental assistant might be right for you. What Does a Dental Assistant Do? While your responsibilities as a Dental Assistant will vary depending on the office where you work, here’s a list of functions that you might perform as a dental assistant:

• Preparing patients for their dental exams
• Assisting the dentist chairside
• Taking impressions
• Creating bleaching trays and temporary crowns
• Removing sutures
• Reviewing patient health histories and taking vital signs
• Educating patients about oral health care and  providing post-operative instructions
• Sterilizing dental instruments
• Placing sealants

Where Can I Work as a Dental Assistant? Dental assistants can work in General Dentistry, Orthodontics, Oral Surgery, Endodontics or Pedodontics.  They may find employment in private practices or in dental clinics with multiple dentists. What is the Average Salary for a Dental Assistant? Dental Assistant salaries vary with training and experience. The median annual wage for a dental assistant was $33,470 in May 2010, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook. The median is the salary at which half the workers earned more than the amount and half earned less and represents a wide range of experiences in the industry. How is the Job Outlook for Dental Assistants? The job outlook for dental assistants is very strong. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts dental assistant jobs to grow nationally by 31% from 2010 to 2020, which is faster than the average for all occupations. Dental assistant jobs are predicted to grow because of an increase in demand for oral health services. With improved dental care, baby-boomers have been able to better maintain their oral health and need the services you could provide as a Dental Assistant.  And because more and more people understand the connection between oral health and overall health, dentists are in demand.  As dentists continue to take on more patients, offices will continue to hire more dental assistants. How Do I Become a Dental Assistant? To become a dental assistant, you should complete a dental assisting program at a  career school or college. The dental assisting program will teach you about dental anatomy and terminology, the use of dental instruments, proper sterilization, and chairside assisting skills. Ideally, the dental assisting program you enroll in should include a combination of classroom instruction and practical hands-on learning inside the school’s dental lab, clinic or through an externship in an actual dental practice. Porter and Chester Institute offers a wide array of career-focused programs at its nine convenient locations throughout Connecticut and Massachusetts. The Dental Assisting Program at Porter & Chester Institute is taught by experienced dental assistants who have years of experience working with patients in dental office settings.  The program features hands-on training inside the school’s dental lab, and requires students to complete a 300-hour externship working inside a real dentist’s office before graduation. Fill out the form to learn more about how Porter and Chester Institute can prepare you for a new career as a dental assistant!