Monday, February 16, 2009

Newly Qualified Dental Assistants

By Mike Taylor

Dental assistant earnings can vary, such factors as experience and the office position. But before we dig deep into all the various details concerning the wages for dental assistants, lets clear up what exactly a dental assistant does.

There are a number of responsibilities that a dental assistant will carry out, these include laboratory responsibilities, patient care and clerical work. Quite simply, they are members of a professional team that assist dentists with examinations and treatments. One of the main purposes the dental assistant is to organise patients for examination making sure they are as relaxed and comfortable as practicable.

Working chair-side dental assistant features more tasks like handling instruments and materials to the dentist and drying the patient's mouth with suction equipment during treatments. The job of an assistant could also include mixing filling compounds, take impressions of teeth, and give patients postoperative instructions.

Future job chances will increase, driven by the growth of an ageing population more prone to gum disease and associated dental health conditions. More and more people are now keeping their natural teeth longer, this is one of the reason for the increased demand for dental services.

Statistics from the occupational job survey of employers, 2004, shows an growth for dental assistant Wages from $23,000 to $25,600, which makes an average hourly wage of $12.68. We previously mentioned that the Wages of a dental assistant depends on a variety of factors including the office position, type of employer, skills and experience, and the individual's education.

One thing is for sure though - fully-accredited dental assistants and qualified dental assistants in Extended Functions may expect to receive higher Wages. Fully licensed dental assistants and registered dental assistants in a practice where they would be asked to carry out extra responsibilities can expect a higher salary.

About the Author:

No comments:

Post a Comment