electronic Portfolio: Dental Assistant

Duties and Responsibility: Dental assistant duties mostly consist of preparing the patient for the dental examination, assisting the dentist during dental procedures, and doing front-office work. Front-office job duties might include helping patients schedule appointments and working with equipment suppliers to handle deliveries.In addition to these general dental assisting duties, a dental assistant job description might also include specialized tasks, depending on which state the dental assistant works in Beyond the job duties described above, dental assistants also have more general responsibilities when it comes to handling patients. Mastering these responsibilities is not taught in dental assisting courses, but can be developed while working as a dental assistant.

Salary: $35,390 USD (2014)

Education: It takes a relatively short period of time to become a dental assistant. Dental assistants receive their formal education through academic programs at community colleges, vocational schools, technical institutes, universities or dental schools. Graduates of these programs usually receive certificates. Although the majority of academic dental assisting programs take nine to eleven months to complete, some schools offer accelerated training, part-time education programs or training via distance education.