Dental assistants make many things: they make children comfortable with a visit to the dentist; they make an appointment move along quickly; they make the dentist more efficient; and, of course, they make pretty good livings.

Because every state regulates dental assistants differently, including the scope of the work they can do, we cannot compile a single list of all the aspects of the job. The Dental Assisting National Board (DANB) can help you search your state’s particulars, but the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) can provide a lot of helpful information about median annual wages, where to find good jobs, and where to find top-paying jobs as a dental assistant. 

Getting to the Root of the Issue: The Dental Assisting Labor Shortage and Projected Growth

Our nation is suffering a shortage of key health care professionals in both dentistry and dental hygiene. Because dental assistants do not need an advanced degree, the labor shortage for dental assistants that the nation experienced from the mid-1990s to around 2005 has eased slightly. However, with the continuing need for more dentists will come greater need for more dental assistants. 

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Service Administration (HRSA) projects that the nation’s demand for dentists will outstrip the labor supply by more than six percent through 2025. Similarly, dental hygienists will be in short supply in five states. (HRSA did not measure supply and demand of dental assistants for their February, 2015 study.)

The BLS estimates 18 percent growth in employment for dental assistants through 2024, far faster than the expected growth in all occupations (seven percent). Given the need for more dentists and the BLS’s estimated growth, opportunities for well-educated, professional dental assistants abound.  

Dental Assistant Duties: Our Caps Off to You

Before we sink our teeth into the financial dynamics of dental assisting, we need to know what the work entails. A dental assistant helps a dentist in many ways every day: 

• Ensure patient comfort and ease in the dental examination chair
• Prepare patients for treatments and procedures
• Sterilize dental tools
• Provide tools and instruments to the dentist during procedures
• Instruct patients about proper oral hygiene
• Maintain office records to note treatments and dates of X-rays
• Schedule appointments
• Process X-rays and laboratory work

In some states, dental assistants can also perform coronal polishing, apply sealants and fluoride, and apply topical anesthesia. 

Dental Assisting Certifications: No, Not that Kind of Plaque

With a good education as a dental assistant, you can move forward in your career quickly, gaining other prestigious certifications. While these are not the sort of plaques you expect to find in patients’ mouths, they are great plaques to hang on the wall: 

• National Entry Level Dental Assistant (NELDA™) 
• Certified Dental Assistant™ (CDA®)
• Certified Orthodontic Assistant (COA®)
• Certified Preventive Functions Dental Assistant (CPFDA®)
• Certified Restorative Functions Dental Assistant (CRFDA®)

All these nationally recognized certifications are available through DANB, and could help you advance in your career. 

Dental Assisting Pay: Know the Drill

The BLS compiles national statistics on earnings for dental assistants. As of May, 2014, the country’s 318,800 dental assistants each earned annual mean wages of $35,390, according to the BLS. Keep in mind that one in three worked part-time, which indicates full-time assistants earned more than this national average of full-time and part-time assistants. 

These wages differ by geographic region and local need. New Hampshire, for example, had annual mean (average) wages for dental assistants of $44,580, with Manchester, NH showing annual mean wages of $49,740, the highest in the nation. Alaska, too, outpaced the national average with annual mean wages of $43,550. 

Competition: Fighting Tooth and Nail for Jobs

Acknowledging a growth rate nearly three times greater than the national average, the BLS also reports on the five states with the highest current employment levels for dental assistants: 

• California—The Golden State has 47,630 dental assistants, each earning an annual mean wage of $38,100
• Texas—Texas’s 23,750 dental assistants each earn annual mean wages of $34,100
• New York—The 18,700 dental assistants in the Empire State each earn annual mean wages of $35,550
• Florida—Around 16,450 dental assistants, each earning annual mean wages of $35,100, work in the Sunshine State
• Illinois—The Land of Lincoln has 13,290 dental assistants at annual mean wages of $35,800

 

Become a Dental Assistant and Put Your Money Where The Mouth Is

You can begin your career as a dental assistant by getting an education at ECPI University. Through their efficient, 15-month program, you could earn an Associate of Applied Science in Health Science with a concentration in Dental Assisting and you could be on your way to a career in dental assisting. Contact ECPI University today to learn more—it could be the Best Decision You Ever Make!

DISCLAIMER – ECPI University makes no claim, warranty or guarantee as to actual employability or earning potential to current, past or future students or graduates of any educational program we offer. The ECPI University website is published for informational purposes only. Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information contained on the ECPI.edu domain; however, no warranty of accuracy is made. No contractual rights, either expressed or implied, are created by its content.

Gainful Employment Information – Dental Assisting - Associate’s

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