What Else Can I Do as a Dental Assistant Besides Seeing Patients?
At Columbus Academy of Dental Assisting, we often get students that are intrigued by the dental field but don’t want to be hands-on seeing patients all day. Maybe they don’t want to see patients at all. Some dental assistants start out seeing patients all day every day and want to shift their focus to other areas in the office. We are here to tell you about the job opportunities for dental assistants besides just seeing patients.
Sterilization Technician
If you like hands-on work and not sitting at a desk, a sterilization technician may be a good position for you. This position may include helping turn rooms over to get them ready for the next patient, sterilizing instruments, stocking rooms, and doing tray set ups. Not every office employs a sterilization tech, but if you are super interested in it, this may be the job for you!
Treatment Coordinator
If you love talking to people and have the knowledge and background in dentistry, this may be the perfect job for you. Often, patients are walked up to the front of the office and they have more questions for the front desk about the treatment recommended. A dental office wants to employ someone who can explain those procedures confidently to the patient so that they are on board with scheduling and completing the treatment. A treatment coordinator can do anything from answering phones to scheduling patients for treatment and going over financials. You will also deal a lot with dental insurances. This position requires a professional, friendly face to greet the patient as they walk through the door. This is the first impression for the dental office and matters the most!!
Educator or Speaker
Maybe your role is meant to be in more of a leadership position. So, as a dental assistant, you could teach dental assisting and share your knowledge of dentistry with students. Some dental assistants want to share their knowledge on specific topics with an even larger group. They could get certified to give lectures for CE courses.
Lab Technician
If you love hands-on but like to be more independent, a lab technician may be a great position for you. If you are artsy and have great attention to detail – you would probably love this. A lab technician makes crowns, bridges and other prosthetic devices for in the mouth. Some offices employ a lab tech and do all of their lab work in house, while others outsource their lab work. What this means is this position may not be as in demand, but you can definitely find it if you feel like it best suits you.
Office Manager
If you love to be in control and envision yourself overseeing several team members, an office manager position may be in your near future. A lot of office managers start out as dental assistants. If hiring and firing sound like something you feel like you could do along with extensive paperwork, and other housekeeping items to keep the office running efficiently, then keep this position in mind!
As you can see, there is an endless amount of job opportunities for dental assistants and other careers in the dental field! At Columbus Academy of Dental Assisting, we teach you how to be a well-rounded assistant so that you could qualify for any of these positions and find your passion.
