Pros and Cons of Being a Dental Assistant

A dental assistant is a person who acts as the right hand of a dentist. They carry out various tasks, including assisting the dentist during the dental procedure and cleaning the instruments before and after the procedure, comforting the patients, maintaining patient records, and much more. If you are a people’s person and love to do multitasking, you can be a perfect fit for this job. However, there are pros and cons associated with every job, and the same is the case with being a dental assistant.

• Pros
  • Job growth- The trend of the job market is on growth. There is continuous research regarding the relationship between oral and overall health. Resulting in an increased demand for dental services. So the dentists are expected to hire more assistants to cater to the growing demand.
  • Short training- You don’t need a full 4-year college degree to get this job. The training period is much shorter, which usually takes up less than a year, all with an affordable fee.
  • Good Earning Potential- You can get a job with a healthy amount, and it can increase with experience and certifications.
  • Varying Job Duties- No two days will be similar for you, with one day you will be busy with the dental procedure and the next day lost into the registers of patient’s records.
• Cons
  • Fluids- A part of your job would include cleaning up patients’ bodily fluids such as saliva, blood, and pus. Not everyone can be comfortable with it, but if you can handle it, you may have a wonderful career ahead.
  • Body – A part of your job will include sitting in an awkward position for long hours, resulting in headaches, backaches, neck pain, shoulder pain, or numbness in arms. However, you can counter it by doing exercise and routine stretching.  

After examining the pros and cons, if you think you have what it takes to be a dental assistant, call Greatwood Dental Assisting Program at 281-728-6012. And get to know more about our training program.