The dental assistant takes on significant responsibility as a member of the dental health care team. Assistants greatly increase the efficiency of the dentist in the delivery of quality oral health care and are valuable members of the dental care team. If you have strong communication skills, enjoy working with your hands as well as your mind and want a career with responsibility, dental assisting is for you.

The best way to become a dental assistant is to receive formal education. Studying in a Commission on Dental Accreditation accredited program provides education that is based on the latest procedures and techniques.

In some areas of the country, dental assistants can begin their careers without a college degree; however, education is encouraged. Assistants often have considerable freedom to chose their own hours. So if a career in health care and 1-2 years of formal education appeals to you, then dental assisting is a career you will want to explore.

A career as a dental assistant offers many challenges. In addition to assisting the dentist during a variety of procedures, other specific tasks dental assistants may perform include taking and developing dental radiographs (x-rays), sterilizing instruments and equipment and taking impressions of patients' teeth.