Dental assistants help dentists with various procedures, but it is also important they make patients feel comfortable and are able to communicate with patients, dentists, and other healthcare professionals. Dental assistants work in small, clean environments, along side dentists where they can assist during examination by handing instruments and keeping patients mouths clean and dry. Dental assistants are also responsible for sterilizing instruments, taking x-rays, processing x-rays, taking impressions, and many other important duties. Dental assistants also serve as office assistants by scheduling appointments, billing, ordering, and phone answering.

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Dental Assistant Salary

Overall, the salary of a dental assistant is based on type of practice and type of employment.

According to Salary.com, the current median expected salary for a typical Dental Assistant in the United States is $35,107.

At Payscale.com, dental assistants, not registered or certified had a median expected salary of $27,750. Certified dental assistants had an expected salary of $30,000, while registered dental assistants median expected salary is $30,900.

The US Department of Labor reported that the average hourly earning for dental assistants is $13.62. The lowest ten percent earned an average of $9.11/hour with the highest ten percent earned more than $19.97/hour

Dental Assistant Job Outlook

A recent survey indicates that approximately 267,000 jobs are held by Dental Assistants, with most working full-time in dental offices.

Job prospects for dental assistants are expected to be excellent. The job growth for dental assistants is expected to grow much faster than average through 2014. This makes it one of the fastest growing job positions in the United States.

Dental assistants are needed to replace those who are retiring, leaving the field, or pursuing higher education. Also, older dentists are less likely to employ dental assistants, while newer dentists are more likely to hire one or two assistants.

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