The dental assistant takes on significant responsibility as a member of the dental health care team. Assistants greatly increase the efficiency of the dentist in the delivery of quality oral health care and are valuable members of the dental care team. If you have strong communication skills, enjoy working with your hands as well as your mind and want a career with responsibility, dental assisting is for you.

“The best way to become a dental assistant is to receive formal education. Studying in a Commission on Dental Accreditation accredited program provides education that is based on the latest procedures and techniques.”

Dental Assistants often have some flexibility in the hours they work. A dental assistant can find employment on a casual, part-time, or full-time basis.  Dental offices hours of operations are no longer Monday to Friday 9am – 5pm. In fact it is becoming more the norm for dental offices to be open on some evenings and weekends. So if a career in health care and 1-2 years of formal education appeals to you, then dental assisting is a career you will want to explore.

“A career as a dental assistant offers many challenges…in addition to assisting the dentist during a variety of procedures, other specific tasks dental assistants may perform include taking and developing dental radiographs (x-rays), sterilizing instruments and equipment and taking impressions of patients’ teeth.”

What do Dental Assistants do?

 The duties of a dental assistant are among the most comprehensive and varied in the dental office. The dental assistant performs many tasks requiring both interpersonal and technical skills. Although provincial regulations vary, some specific tasks dental assistants may perform include:

·         assisting the dentist during a variety of treatment procedures;

·         taking and developing dental radiographs (x-rays);

·         asking about the patient’s medical history and taking blood pressure and pulse;

·         serving as an infection control officer, developing infection control protocol and preparing and sterilizing instruments and equipment;

·         helping patients feel comfortable before, during and after dental treatment;

·         providing patients with instructions for oral care following surgery or other dental

·         treatment procedures, such as the placement of a restoration (filling);

·         teaching patients appropriate oral hygiene strategies to maintain oral health (e.g., toothbrushing, flossing and nutritional counseling);

·         taking impressions of patients’ teeth for study casts (models of teeth);

·         performing office management tasks that often require the use of a computer;

·         communicating with patients and suppliers (e.g., scheduling appointments, answering the

·         telephone, billing and ordering supplies); and

·         assisting with and helping to provide direct patient care in all dental specialties, including

·         orthodontics, pediatric dentistry, periodontics and oral surgery.

What are the advantages of a Dental Assisting career?

Variety: Dental assistants have one of the most diverse and interesting of all positions

in a dental office. Dental assisting is a challenging and rewarding career, demanding

versatility and a willingness to assume responsibility for many different tasks.

Flexibility: Since dental assistants are in demand, career options include both fulltime

and part-time positions.

Excellent Working Conditions: Dental offices are interesting, pleasant, people-oriented environments in which to work.

Personal Satisfaction: Dental assisting involves people contact, and with this personal

interaction comes the personal satisfaction of knowing you’ve really helped someone by

helping to provide a valuable health service.

Where do Dental Assistants work?

 Since many dentists employ two or more dental assistants, employment opportunities in this

field are excellent. The types of practice settings available to dental assistants include:

• solo dental practices (practices with only one dentist);
• group practices (practices with two or more dentists);
• specialty practices, such as oral and maxillofacial surgery (removal of teeth and correction of facial deformities), orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics (straightening teeth with braces or other appliances), endodontics (root canal treatment), periodontics(treatment of gum problems), prosthodontics(replacement of lost teeth) and pediatric dentistry (treatment of children);
• public health dentistry, including settings such as schools and clinics which focus on the prevention of dental problems within entire communities;
• hospital dental clinics, assisting dentists in the treatment of bedridden patients; and
• dental school clinics, assisting dental students as they learn to perform dental procedures.

Other career opportunities for Dental Assistants include:

• insurance companies, processing dental insurance claims;
• vocational schools, technical & community colleges, dental schools and universities, teaching others to be dental assistants (which may require associate or baccalaureate college degrees); and
• dental product sales representatives. 

EDUCATION AND TRAINING