Are you interested in pursuing a career as a dental assistant? If you are really interested in working as a dental assistant, you should feel confident knowing that job prospects are expected to be very strong. Oral health care is important to people and this industry can withstand the challenging economic times we live in. Dental offices will continue to need dental assistants, who play a pivotal role in ensuring the smooth operations of the office. Dental assistants have several important responsibilities, including treating patients with respect, educating patients about oral health care and aiding dentists with various procedures. It is important you understand more about the work environment and hours involved in working as a dental assistant.
As a dental assistant, you can expect to work in a very nice and comfortable environment that is clean and well lighted. A dental office is geared toward providing a pleasurable experience for patients, which benefits you as a worker. A dental assistant’s work area is typically near the dental chair so they can properly arrange tools and medication as required by the dentist. If you want to become a dental assistant, be prepared to wear gloves, masks, eyewear and protective clothing to safeguard yourself from diseases since you are working in a medical setting. It is very common for dental assistants to work between 35 and 40 hours a week. However, if you do want to become a dental assistant you must prepare for potential fluctuations in hours. Your services may be needed more or less depending on different times of the year. Depending on the dental office you work at, you may need to also work on weekends or evenings.
Working as a dental assistant provides several benefits to you. There is tremendous job security for this position because dentists will always require the help of quality dental assistants. You will have the opportunity to work in a very comfortable environment that is well lighted and relaxing in order to satisfy patients. You must be prepared to wear protective articles of clothing while working as a dental assistant to protect yourself from potential diseases. You should also be prepared to generally work between 35 and 40 hours a week, though this could fluctuate slightly up or down in some instances.