Communications and Dental Assistant Work

Engaging in dental assistant work is a great opportunity to work with others in the dental

profession. The most common staff you will work with in a dental facility are Dentists, Dental Hygienists, and the Receptionist. It is very important that you forge quality relationships with the other staff you work with. The smaller the dental facility, the more important it is as everyone will have to work well together to allow the facility to function properly.

Since communication skills are so important in dental assistant work, many dental facilities require staff members to attend communication workshops. These are often very fun and interactive workshops, showing more effective methods of communication. They generally include information on individual communication as well as group efforts. These workshops are conducted by individuals who customize the workshop to meet the needs of your group. This makes the setting more intimate and usable in your dental facility.

Dental Assistant Work: Drug Abusers Part 2

This article continues our discussion on Dental Assistant work; Working with drug abusers and how you will be able to spot them during your dental assistant work.

The effects of drug use in relation to oral health care include missing dental appointments, fear, anxiety, cravings for sweets, the risk of infection from Hepatitis B and HIV, oral neglect, periodontal disease, gingivitis, and painful gums. It is easy to see from this list how taking drugs can lead to ongoing oral health issues. If the drug use continues tooth lose and inflamed gum areas may increase. Since Dental assistant work includes working closely with the patient, you should be able to spot some of these symptoms through casual conversation and observation.

Dental Assistants are often consulted when individuals call the dental office or come in complaining of severe tooth pain. This can be a ploy on the patient’s behalf to obtain drugs from the dental facility, either in the office or in the form of a prescription. Dental Assistants need to watch for such scenarios and listen to their gut reaction in such cases. Often, these individuals will come in at closing time, get a prescription and an appointment to return the next morning. They get the prescription filled, but never show up for the appointment.

As a contientious assistant, part of your dental assistant work should be monitoring any suspicious behavior and reporting to the dentist.

Dental Assistant Work: Working with Drug Abusers

Dental Assistant work can include working with patients who are suffering from poor dental hygiene. Statistics show more than 10.5 million people in the United States are affected by drug and alcohol use.

Substance abuse is easily recognizable by Dental Assistants. One of your duties while engaged in Dental Assistant work could be consulting with the parents when you find drug abuse in a younger patient.

Many parents are left completely dumbfounded when the Dental Assistant has to inform them that their child appears to have a drug dependency and it is affecting their oral health. Types of drug abuse you may encounter during your Dental Assistant work include sedatives, barbiturates, and narcotics.

Dental Assistant Work Duties

Dental Assistant work often means remaining with the dentist or Hygienist during the procedures. They are responsible for suction and for handing the instruments to the other staff throughout the procedures. They are also there to offer instant assistance if an emergency arises during the procedure. In some dental facilities, the Dental Assistant work will also mean monitoring the vital signs of all patients as well as administer local anesthetics.

Dental Assistant work can often include helping to make patients feel comfortable before, during, and after their procedures. They can offer a kind word, help adjust lighting and chair position, and provide the patient with follow up information to care for their procedures. Dental Assistants are often asked to make phone calls and follow up on the recovery process for some patients after major procedures including root canals, bridges, and extractions.

While Dental Assistant work can be demanding, it is crucial for the Dental Assistants to understand the scope of their duties and perform them in a professional manner.

Dental Assistant Work Defined

Dental Assistants are very versatile. They are well trained in a variety of areas to properly assist Dentists and Hygienists perform quality dental work on all individuals. Dental Assistant work will depend on the state regulations, the type of dental facility, and how that particular facility has their operations set up. Often the smaller the dental facility, the more types of duties the Dental Assistant will be trained in.

Typical Dental Assistant work includes sterilizing instruments and setting up instrument trays. The proper cleansing and sterilizing of dental instruments is an essential part of providing quality service to all patients. Instrument trays are set up with the proper tools and equipment that can possibly be needed for a particular dental procedure. Dental assistant work involves getting these materials together and in the area where the procedure will take place. This helps things run smoothly and allows the Dentist or Hygienist to remain focused on the procedure. It eliminates searching for each item as it is needed.

Dental assistant work is an essential part of a well run Dentistry practice.

Dental Assistant Work: Wages

Dental assistant work is often confused with the work performed by Dental Hygienists. Compared to hygienists, who have a median rate of pay of $23.65 per hour, a Dental Assistant is not making a very good hourly wage. However, they are very different professions. A Dental Assistant does just that, assists the dentist and hygienist with providing the best quality care for all patients. A hygienist takes care of cleaning teeth and generally has a steady stream of patients who come in every six months for routine cleaning procedures.

The amount of pay for dental assistant work depends on many factors. The cost of living in your area will be the greatest influence. The amount of revenue the dental office you work for generates will also be a deciding factor. New dentists might have to pay less than established dentists will clientele because they don’t have the traffic coming into the office. However, it is very possible your pay will increase as more patients are drawn to that dental office.

Your level of experience will also be a consideration. You may have to accept dental assistant work that pays less than average to get your foot in the door and gain some hands on experience. However, with the demand for dental assistant work, you should have no problem securing employment. Many dental offices want to keep quality Dental Assistants. They may offer to start you at a lower entry level pay, with the understanding that your performance will be reviewed in 90 days or other time frame. Based on your performance, you pay will be adjusted at that time.

Dental Assistant Work is Plentiful

Becoming a Dental Assistant not only prepares you for a wonderful career working in the dental field, is also pays very well. Since this area of employment is anticipated to be one of the most in demand over the next six years, your chances of securing dental assistant work with great pay and benefits is very likely.

The Median hourly rate of pay for dental assistant work is $13.62. This is well above the minimum wage established in most states. In addition to a great hourly wage, many Dental Assistants will receive bonuses if the dental office is doing well, health insurance, and discounted dental procedures. Almost all Dental Assistants receive paid vacation days, sick days, and paid Holidays.

However, earning such a high hourly wage comes with a great level of responsibility. Dental assistant work means performing duties relating to patient care, office sanitation, lab duties, and assisting the dentist and hygienist with a variety of procedures. Dental Assistants need to be alert, pay attention to detail, and have effective communication skills. They must also be able to provide patients with comfort measures both before and after procedures are completed.

Dental assistant work is highly rewarding and has great potential for advancement.