DENTISTRY
Dental Assistant
To be a successful Dental Assistant you should...
be reliable; work well with others; have good manual dexterity; have good eye/hand coordination; have the ability to communicate clearly; have good listening skills; have the ability to calm nervous patients; have good health, personal neatness and cleanliness.
What will my job be like?
Dental assistants perform many tasks requiring both interpersonal and technical skills. In addition to assisting the dentist during a variety of procedures, dental assistants may take and develop dental radiographs (x-rays), sterilize instruments and equipment, and take impressions of patients' teeth.
Where could I work?
Dental assistants may work in private dental offices, hospitals, or community health agencies. Most dental assistants have a 32- to 40-hour work week, which may include work on Saturdays or evenings.
Other workplace settings:
- Clinics
- Dental Product Sales Representative
- Dental and Dental Hygiene Schools
- Military Hospitals
- Public Schools
- State and Local Public Health Departments
Average Annual Salary
$46,540 per year
What is the future of this career?
Employment of dental assistants is projected to grow 8 percent from 2023 to 2033, faster than the average for all occupations.
About 54,900 openings for dental assistants are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Type of Education/Training
Training programs are offered by community colleges, vocational schools, or technical institutes. One-year program enrollees receive a certificate or diploma upon completion, while those in 2-year programs receive an associate degree. Dental assistants may also acquire necessary skills through on-the-job training.
Where could I get the education/training?
- CT State Asnuntuck
- CT State Gateway
- CT State Manchester
- CT State Norwalk
- CT State Three Rivers
- CT State Tunxis
- Porter and Chester Institute
- University of Bridgeport
- Valley Medical Institute
Licensing/Certification
Licensure is required for dental assistants in the state of Connecticut only in regard to taking dental x-rays. Prerequisite: Dental assistants must successfully complete the radiology section of the Dental Assisting National Board examination in order to take dental x-rays in Connecticut; but other than that, neither certification nor licensure is required in Connecticut.
More Information
American Dental Assistants Association
529 14th Street NW, Suite 1280
Washington, DC 20045
410-940-6584
https://adaausa.org/
