Are you a dental assistant but looking for a new career within the dental field that isn’t assisting? Well, you can take your career one step further by acquiring more training or higher education. Where you choose to go is up to you, but we can let you know of careers you can have in dentistry.
If you become a dental assistant to try the waters, now you can go in deeper as you explore the possibilities of what you can achieve and choose as a profession. Learn about some of the positions you can move up to and how you can accomplish that, here is a list of careers to choose from after having been a dental assistant. Keep in mind training and a new level of education is needed for each job position.
Dental Assisting Instructor
Do you want to become an educator but remain within the dental industry? Become a dental assistant instructor! As an instructor, you will be responsible for educating, training and informing students on how to use machinery, keep dental records, and how to sterile equipment. Of course, there are other basic dental assisting topics you will have to cover. To become a dental assisting instructor, you need to have experience as a dental assistant.
Dental Hygienist
Are you still wanting to work with patients but more directly and complete more responsibilities you wouldn’t be able to as an assistant? Being a dental hygienist means having more responsibilities that require more training and knowledge. As an assistant, you have the advantage of getting to know the functions of a dental office and how hygienist work since you’ve probably worked side by side with them. You have an insight into what they do which is a plus for you when you go back to school to become a hygienist. More extensive education is required since you will need an associates degree from a dental hygiene program.
Dental Administration
I refer to this term as an umbrella to cover all positions which fall under administration and office work. Under dental administration, you can become a financial treatment coordinator, schedule coordinator, account manager, marketing specialist, or dental office manager. You will still be working within the dental industry but from the business perspective. Find out how dental clinics function and operate from behind the scenes. For positions as administration staff, you might want to get training from the practice or a program.
Dental Sales Representatives
This a position that is less known of, however, it is an equally prominent position as any other in a dental practice. What exactly does a dental sales representative do? They are a sales representative but for their dental practice. They’re responsible for attracting new business by helping our patients see the value of the dental office and the knowledge of the services and products a dental office offers to its patients. For a position like dental sales representatives, a bachelor’s degree in marketing is essential as is the skill of communication since you will be required to interact with both dental and office staff and patients.
Dental Consultant
Maybe after years of working in private or corporate dental practice, you’re in search of a change in pace and work. Going to school for a bachelor’s degree in business administration or financing can be beneficial in helping you become a dental consultant. Applying what you learn from your studies to your current profession can qualify you as a dental consultant since you’re familiar with dental procedures, dental terminology, and the dynamics of dental staff. As a dental consultant, you’ll oversee a dental practice to find ways to improve the practice for efficiency and effectiveness. It can be in the forms of recommendation, resource, facilitating, or training.
Dental assisting can be a launching pad to other career paths within the dental field and to further your education. Most of these positions require some form of training and a high education level something to consider. If you want a position allowing you to work closely and directly with patients, then a clinical basis dental profession is more of the direction you want to take. However, if you’re going to experience the business aspect of a dental practice, you can go back to school and earn a bachelor’s to apply to your career or enroll in a program.
At The Core Foundation, we offer a dental administration training and development program designed to train and prepare students for dental office administration positions by educating them on business and health. We offer an online program, check out our training and development facility to learn more.