Do you nurture the qualities of competence and commitment? Why you should consider becoming a Dental Assistant

Written by Lizzie Learn On 14th Dec 2021

compassion, competence and commitment are your strong points, then becoming a dental assistant may be just the right career for you.

Dental care is an important component of healthcare. In addition to looking after the oral hygiene of the nation, the dental care team also contributes to wider care for patients. You will have the exciting opportunity to enjoy day-to-day contact with people from different walks of life. Most importantly, you can look forward to making a real difference in their lives.

Exciting Opportunities

Healthcare needs are always changing and there are new challenges on the horizon. The good news is that along with new challenges always come fresh opportunities.

There has never been a better time to consider becoming a part of the dental care field. Several roles in healthcare involve working alongside medical professionals as part of a wider dental team. Whether your job role involves direct contact with patients or a larger administrative component, your contribution helps to strengthen the healthcare service delivery system in the UK. Providing dental care in a community clinic or hospital is a team responsibility and it is crucial for dental assistants to develop team working abilities.

A career in the field of dental care offers several advantages:

• In addition to working closely with the dentist, you will also have the opportunity to improve the quality of care and efficiency levels in the practice. Dental assistants are often the reliable coordinators between the clinical and administrative departments of a dental office.
• As you gain experience reassuring patients and putting them at ease, you will find that being a part of the dental care industry is a rewarding and enriching career path. You will enjoy interacting with patients belonging to different age groups, ethnicities, religions and race.
• As a dental assistant, you will develop an erstwhile combination of technical skills and soft skills. Technical skills include taking x-rays, helping the dentist to take impressions, mixing materials on instruments and so on. Soft skills include communication and interpersonal skills, which help to establish a friendly relationship with patients. Effective soft skills help to renew motivation and increase success and satisfaction at work.
• Dental care careers involve responsibility and in addition, you will enjoy enhanced job security. It is fair to say that it is practically impossible for dental clinics and offices to function efficiently in the absence of the able skills of a dental assistant. As you gain experience, you will become more competent and adept at helping the dentist, as well as improving the overall quality of care in the dental office.

It's a Rewarding Career

The daily contact with different people, the potential to help people with problems and the dynamic interaction with patients make the dental field an exciting and vibrant one in which to work. What’s more, the supervising dentist(s) invariably find their assistants invaluable and your services are likely to be appreciated and valued by the dental team.

Over the course of your career, you will also develop the key attributes of professionalism and discretion, which are extremely important for maintaining patient confidentiality.

Each working day brings its own unique set of opportunities and challenges - there will always be an occasion for ongoing learning, as well as chances to undergo training along with other members of the dental team. It lies within your abilities and scope to help streamline communication channels between the practice and the patient.

Most mistakes and confusion occur due to inadequate communication or lack of information regarding patient requirements. By developing effective communication skills, you can foster a friendly relationship with the patient that is based on mutual respect and trust. The warm and caring demeanour of the assistant will help to improve efficiency, reduce the likelihood of complaints and increase patient satisfaction.

Dental Assistants are in Demand

As the scope of dental care expands, there is an increasing need for the services of dental assistants.

Dental assistants are taking on increasingly competitive job roles that involve both clinical and administrative components. This is a good time to equip yourself with a range of skills and competencies that you will require in order to excel in the field of dental care.

You can choose from full-time or part-time jobs and from a range of dental offices. Regardless of your academic background, you can always find a dental assistant job role that is right for you.

Dental assistants are respected and sought-after members of the dental profession.

The carefully designed training course will cover the skills that you need in order to work confidently in a dental office.

If you are interested in working in other areas of healthcare, you can find more courses on our New Skills Academy website,