Most of the dentists will hire at least two dental assistants (DAs). Simple math, one dentist = two dental assistants. The number of DAs is surely more than dentists. There are so many tasks that a DA can do. Thus, the employment opportunities are definitely excellent.
Practice settings that DAs can work in are as below:
Solo Dental Practices
This means the DA will only work with one dentist.
Group Practices
The DA will work together with two or more dentists.
Specialties Practices
Specialties practices can give DAs a lot of employment opportunities. They include oral and maxillofacial surgery which means removal of teeth and correction of facial deformities, periodontics (treatment relating gum problems), orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics (straightening teeth with braces), endodontics (root canal treatment), pediatric dentistry (treatment for children) and prosthodontics (teeth replacement). Yea, you ought to be surprised with all these specialty fields.
Public Health Dentistry
Public health dentistry emphasizes the prevention of dental healthcare such as how to protect your teeth and how to brush your teeth correctly. It usually focuses the schools and clinics settings to give awareness to the communities.
Hospital Dental Clinics
DAs will assist the dentists with the treatment of bedridden patients.
Dental School Clinics
DAs will assist the dental students in their learning process to perform dental procedures.
Other than that, DAs can also opt for settings which are not located in healthcare centre.
Insurance Companies
DAs can perform the duty to process dental insurance claims
Educational Settings
A DA can work with schools, community colleges, technical institutions, universities, and dental school, to promote the occupation of being DAs.
Dental Product Sales Representatives
You will need not to face the teeth of patients' for this. Working as a dental product sales representative, you will be the person who supplies dental equipments and materials to the dental settings.
