Dental Assistant: A Fast Growing Occupation
Wednesday August 30, 2006
When the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicted what the fastest growing occupations that don't require a college degree would be, dental assistant showed up as number three on the list. If you work well with others and have good manual dexterity you might want to consider this occupation. However, if you get queazy at the thought of putting your hands in someone's mouth, this may not be the job for you. Dental assistants often work alongside dentists removing stiches, and applying anesthetics to gums and cavity-preventive agents to teeth.
Learn about the other daily duties of dental assistants, which can also include some laboratory and office work. Find out how much dental assistants earn and what training they need.
(Photo courtesy of stock.xchng)
Comments
Here is my opinion on this job as a dental assistant.
I’m a certified dental assistant with over 2 years of work experience. As much as I used to love my job in the past and the close work with my patients, it has changed dramatically over the past few years. And here are the reasons why…
1. Job market:
It is at it’s worst right now. Especially in major cities across the nation. Positions available demand experience levels over 3+ years. So… those at entry level hardly have any chance. Or in my case, not enough. And those who are assistants curently holing the full time positions are not leaving because they know full well how hard it would be to find another job. And most assistants are now switching to dental hygiene because of better pay. I can predict that in the next 4-5 years there will be a higher number of dental hygienists vs. dental assistants.
The job is not as appealing anymore as it used to be, due to the ever rising cost of living.
2. Low and unfair wages:
The pay is not enough to cover all living expenses. As the living expenses are rising the pay is not being adjust to accommodate those changes.
If a woman applies for a job, the most likely one to get the position is the one that asks for the minimum pay. We are talking about 9$ per hour. A dental assistant is known for the duties they have to perform. Some places require college and some don’t. Yet the pay can be equal to that of a sales person at Wal Mart! The hours are often long, from 7/8am till 7-8pm. That is 10-12 hours away from home. And women with children have to pay day care expenses which pretty much eats 40% of the monthly earnings.
In most cases the Doctors do not pay the assistant when they go on vacation, leaving the assistants to come up with a week’s earnings to pay bills.
And when this issue is presented to the doctor/s, they simply hand you a number for a temp agent, leaving you in the hopes that the agent has a day or two of work.
As a single mom I have had to struggle so many times because of that, which forced me into near bankruptcy.
A doctor can sometimes make in one hour what a dental assistant earns in one week!!!
I would love to recommend set starting wages for assistants if I could. And paid days when the doctor is on vacation. If we are not to get paid for days we take leave, then why should we also be punished for the days they take off as well?
Reason why I had to work some days sick, since I could not afford days of absence.
This line of work is not worth the unfair treatment.
3. Job interviews left in the hands of office managers.
Most job interviews are conducted by the office managers .
The skills or experience are hardly ever the subject of those interviews and the end results are not based on how well you answer the questions or how experienced you are, but how much they “like you”. Yes, you heard correctly. I have done these interviews a few times and simply walked out on the rest of them. I believe that a doctor should offer working-interviews to get his own opinion on his future assistant.
For instance…
I applied for a job at a dental office. Was called in only a few minutes after faxing in my resume. Appeared for the interview an hour later. I filled out the application form and was ushered to the back room to be interviewed by the office manager. She asked me a number of questions to which I gave my best in return. I got the usual:”Thank you for the interest in our office. We’ll call you back once our interviews are completed”. They never call you to tell you, they won’t be needing you. Which is another flaw.
So few months later after not being able to land a full time job I landed as a temp at the same office. To my surprise I found out, that the girl they hired instead of me, was unreliable and lacked basic skills. A job I would have performed with love and dedication. Reason for me not getting the job was the $13 per hours I asked for. It was too much! In a major city (one of the most expensive to live in).
If I wasn’t forced to move out of that city I would have taken the offer the doctor himself gave me to take the position.
This is why I recommend that if you should apply for a dental assisting job, that you insist on having the interview with the doctor. And no matter if they tell you he is too busy. Stick to your guns and request a day he would have the time.
3. I would only recommend this job to married women who can rely on a second income. Or single ladies who have other financial support.
I would not recommend this job for single women with children or other dependants.
As far as my future and this job. I have lost all interest in ever working in this field. It is not worth the struggle, stress and degradation.
These women work hard to provide their patients with the BEST care and the doctors with the best help. They deserve a bit more appreciation. If it is expected of a dental assistant to provide a postive work attitude, then they should be working in a positive work-enviroment.
Here is a recent page I replied to, to someone who was thinking of becoming an assistant:
Doesn’t matter where you go. Just know when you get out it will ALL be different! The schools all teach JUST the “BASICS”. It is like a toe in the door, not a whole foot! All doctors work differently and they all use similar, but different materials(some may have less or mores steps than others).
Listen, I have been a Dental Assistant almost 15 years. If I were in your shoes, and I really wanted to go into dentistry… GO TO HYGIENE SCHOOL! Don’t be an assistant! You work your BUTT OFF! You have to sit next to your boss ALL day. You do most of the work (when you have the experience and continuing education) and get paid PEANUTS! You take a LOT of BS! (at least this is how it is in FL) Sometimes I am running 2-4 rooms at a time! Some will tell you that is only in an HMO office, I work for a very prestigious office that is a fee for service! OHHH, and it is all about selling! Push veneers, push toothbrushes, OH and the “Let’s take care of that today” when there is no time left on the schedule! Which means you can forget about leaving on time, or getting your full lunch hour! So if you are looking to “help” people, like I was, that is a JOKE! Dentistry is NOT what it used to be! BUT, if you still insist after all I have told you..please at least follow this advice:
NEVER WORK ON SALARY! Always work on HOURLY PAY!
GET EVERYTHING IN WRITING BEFORE YOU ARE HIRED!
NEVER WORK IN AN OFFICE WHERE THERE ARE FAMILY MEMBERS WORKING, the dentists son, daughter, wife…that is a huge NO NO!
Well, Good LUCK