Where Can My Dental Assisting Career Take Me?

As students look over the various career choices that they make, the unemployment rate across the country has to be in the back of their minds. Knowing what careers are not only hiring, but offering a positive long-term outlook is very important. A dental assisting career is one of the most promising careers available today.

One of the best things about working as a dental assistant is the variety that the job holds on a daily basis. You not only get to work with the dentist, but your role is extended with direct interaction with the patients, office and lab work along with things such as making casts of teeth and doing x-ray work on the patients. Each and every day brings a truly unique experience.

Many dental assistants will use this starting position to launch their career in dentistry. Whether they choose to go up to the next level and become a dental hygienist or look to go even further as a dentist, this position will give them the “getting their feet wet” experience that is needed to decide if this is truly something that they want to spend the rest of their lives doing.

Another great aspect of this field is that it is expected to continue to expand over the next few years. While some industries are feeling the crunch of the recession, this does not appear to be one of them. Some estimates have this niche continuing to expand as far out as 2016. This is great news for anyone looking to make a career change or that is just coming out of school.

Something else to consider is the pay scale that will be available when you are first starting out. For the most part, dental assistants can expect to make a little over $30,000 the very first year that they are employed. When benefits, usually including free dental care from your employer, are factored in, this can be a very lucrative position.