Dental Assisting: A Career with Teeth
June 22nd, 2009
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There are many career options within medical degree programs, and those who take the time to get specialized training will find the best jobs with great pay. Earning a dental assistant degree is a great way to get in to the growing health care market. Many dentists are hiring qualified dental assistants to perform their routine tasks so that they may spend their time on more important procedures.
Like most “assistants,” Teshema Evans’ job description only offers a peek into what she does every day. The advanced dental assistant aids Dr. Roshan Parikh at Olympia Fields Dental Associates, but she would have to take off her latex gloves to count all the things she does.
“I don’t just assist the doctor,” said Evans, who lives on Chicago’s South Side. “I take X-rays, make temporary crowns and veneers, prepare bleaching trays, make night guards, a lot of things.”
Evans works full time at the office but said the profession offers full- and part-time positions. Her days are packed, seeing up to 20 patients and always moving between exam rooms.
“It’s fast-paced,” she said. “Sometimes we work 10 hours. Sometimes we don’t leave on time,” she said, noting the job can be unpredictable.
When you earn your dental assisting degree online, you will learn how to perform dental
procedures, how to interact with clients, and about dental instruments and terminology.
Some dental assistants even move on to become office managers, dental device sales
representatives, or insurance claims processors.


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