Dental assistants help dentists deliver dental care to patients by taking on a mix of patient care and administrative duties. Their scope of practice depends on state regulations, but common responsibilities of a dental assistant include:
- Prepare patients for treatments and procedures
- Take x-rays
- Recordkeeping
- Scheduling appointments
- Assist patients in billing and payment
- Sterilizing instruments, and assisting dentists during procedures
- Taking medical history, blood pressure, and pulse before a procedure
- Talk to patients about proper oral hygiene
What dental assistants do on a daily basis depends on the specific roles and responsibilities included in the job description, which can vary by employer.
Learn more about our dental assisting program
BLS pay estimates calculate the median annual wage for various occupations. Per the BLS the median wage for an occupation is: "The wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount, and half earned less. Median wage data are from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey." Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook 2024. BLS median wage estimates do not represent entry-level wages and/or salaries. Multiple factors, including prior experience, age, geographic market in which you want to work, and degree level and field, will affect career outcomes, including starting salary and earnings as an experienced employee. Herzing neither represents that its graduates will earn the median salaries calculated by BLS for a particular job nor guarantees that graduation from its program will result in a job, promotion, particular wage or salary, or other career growth.
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