Top Reasons to Consider a Career as a Dental Assistant
July 22, 2021 | Ed2Go
Why You Should Start a Career as a Clinical Dental Assistant
You can have a role in healthcare without a college degree. The dental assistant career is included on U.S. News & World Report lists of Best Jobs Without a College Degree, Best Healthcare Support Jobs, and 100 Best Jobs.
Clinical dental assistants work hands-on with patients every day as they prepare them for treatments and cleanings. They also sterilize instruments, assist dentists during procedures, process oral x-rays, schedule appointments, and maintain patient records, among other tasks. They are different from administrative dental assistants, who are typically responsible only for administrative office tasks such as greeting patients and updating records.
Clinical dental assistants are integral to the operation of a dental office because they perform various roles designed to help with both administrative and clinical processes and procedures.
Considering starting a career as a Clinical Dental Assistant? Check out these three reasons why you should:
- Clinical dental assistant jobs won’t require a degree.
Unlike a dental hygienist who must complete a 2-year or 4-year degree, you can begin working in this role after completing an online Clinical Dental Assistant training course in just six months. Our course teaches you clinical dental assistant skills that will help you kickstart your new career, including an optional 40-hour externship that you can apply for toward the end of the program for assistance in landing a local externship. This will provide you with valuable hands-on experience in a dental office and may even lead to employment. This level of professional training will go a long way in showing employers that you are serious about your career and willing to take the time to learn the important aspects of clinical dental assistant jobs.
- There is great clinical dental assistant salary potential in Florida.
You can make a great clinical dental assistant salary without a college degree. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that the median salary for dental assistants is $41,180, top earners in the profession earn more than $58,000. According to Glassdoor clinical dental assistants in Pensacola can expect to make an average salary of $37,256 according to Glassdoor.
As a clinical dental assistant, you can choose to work in the private sector for a private practice or healthcare group or in the public sector for organizations such as the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or county public health systems. Public sector jobs do tend to pay slightly higher salaries, but experience and certification can help you gain a higher-than-average salary in any clinical dental assistant role.
- Clinical dental assistant jobs are in demand in Florida.
Based on real-time job opening data from Burning Glass there are over 8,723 open positions in the healthcare industry currently open in Pensacola today. The BLS, shows the job outlook for clinical dental assistants also as favorable. Clinical dental assistant jobs are expected to grow 7% through 2029, almost double the average growth rate expected across all U.S. jobs. Some of this growth in dental assistant jobs will be due to ongoing research that continues to link good oral health with good overall health driving demand for increased preventative dental care.
Are you ready to learn more about becoming a clinical dental assistant in Florida? Explore our online Clinical Dental Assistant training course today.
