Healthcare

What does a Dentist Assistant Do?

HealthcareNovember 15, 2014

Here’s something you may not know about the dental assisting field: Graduating dental assistant students experience a great deal more demand than other new professionals. In fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects that the dental assistant field will grow by 31% nationally between 2010 and 2020, “much faster” than for many other occupations. Sound promising? There certainly is a lot of peace of mind that comes from training in a field that’s got some real growth potential in the workforce. 

But there’s more to learn about the field as you decide whether it’s the profession for you. Dental assistants are integral members of any dental team. They are often relied on to fulfill dual roles performing a variety of vital tasks in dental offices that often include both patient care and front office responsibilities. That means that as a dental assistant, being comfortable working with dentists, staff and patients in different capacities is important. In patient care, even newly graduated dental assisting students often start out with wide responsibilities that include preparing patients for treatments and procedures, assisting dentists during patient procedures and treatments and giving patients instructions on optimal dental hygiene. 

Also in the back office, you might be responsible for sterilizing dental instruments, preparing work areas with the right materials and instruments, and lab work, such as processing x-rays. Your front office responsibilities as a dental assistant may include scheduling patient appointments, helping patients with payment and billing and keeping dental treatment records. How do you get started in the field? 

A Strong Start to Your Dental Career – The Fortis Dental Assisting Program 

Since dental assistants often perform such an array of important tasks, the profession is one that demands both technical ability and strong people skills. This means that the right training is critical. The Fortis dental assisting program is reputed for its dental assistant education and preparation of dental assistants emerging into this growing field. Here students get hands-on practice in dental treatment and surgery techniques and get the foundational instruction that prepares them to for success in any given dental setting, including group and private dental practices, specialty dental practices, hospitals, dental school clinics, private and public health facilities, and mobile dental units. 

More About Fortis Dental Clinical Sites 

Fortis invests in modern and industry current dental technologies to best train students for expertise, efficiency and confidence in today’s dental field. Fortis dental clinical sites are technology driven. They allow students to get the experience they need to be proficient at performing important dental tasks right out of the gate. In Fortis dental clinical sites, you can work directly with experienced dentists learning hands-on which techniques you need to use to assist dentists during treatments and surgeries. You will learn directly how to work hand-in-hand and chair-side with dentists as they care for patients. Here you will prepare for success and advancement in this well-rounded professional field!  

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