8 Reasons to Be a Dental Assistant

Below we are going to go over 8 reasons to be a dental assistant. If you’re interested in hearing from our students, be sure to check out the testimonial video below. We also included a link to more testimonials at the end of the article.

Santa Clarita School of Dental Assisting. April 2022.

1. No College Degree Needed

That’s right, you don’t need to spend years in a classroom to jump into this career. You won’t have to take classes on other subjects unrelated to this field. For example, you won’t have to take semesters of English, Electives, History, and so on.

It’s different from state to state, but rule of thumb all you need is a high school diploma. You can attend a vocational school or technical school. Also, many programs take about a year to complete. Our program for example takes 12 weeks. This is the number 1 reason to be a dental assistant.

2. Dental Assistant High Demand & Job Growth

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2019 alone there were 354,600 jobs in this field. And that number is expected to grow by 23,400 by the year 2029. That’s 7% faster than average growth compared to other industries.

Also, consider that the Baby Boomer Generation is rapidly aging, and they are keeping their original teeth longer than the generations before them. This means around 70 million Americans are going to need regular dental care. This is the number 2 reason to be a dental assistant.

3. Recession Proof

Being a D.A. means working in the healthcare industry. Historically the healthcare industry has been recession proof. Secondly, medical emergencies will always take priority over unnecessary luxury goods and/or services. This the number three reason to be a dental assistant.

4. Pandemic Proof

Unlike many other industries that had to close down due to the pandemic, the healthcare industry was deemed essential. This means that even if we have another similar pandemic, you can rest assured that you will be labeled as an essential job, and your industry will keep it’s doors open. This is the number four reason to be dental assistant.

5. Dental Assistant Career Variety

The number 5 reason to be a dental assistant is the variety in terms of the offices and practices you’ll be able to work in. For example, some practices focus on oral surgery while others focus on general dentistry.

Here are 7 common types of dentists:

General Dentist.
Pediatric Dentist.
Periodontist.
Endodontist.
Oral Surgeon.
Prosthodontist.

6. Location Mobility

The number 6 reason to be a dental assistant is location mobility. Since this job is high in demand and expected grow 7% faster than other occupations in the next few years, you can choose where to work. You find jobs in all 50 states. Of course, we recommend you have some money saved up and a plan before you just pack up and leave. Still, it’s pretty cool to know that you can work almost anywhere.

7. Upward Mobility

The number 7 reason to be a dental assistant is that you can climb up the dental latter. For example, if you wanted to, you could go from dental assistant to registered dental assistant. Secondly, you don’t have to stop at RDA, you can go back to school and become a dental hygienist. Lastly if you wanted to go all way up the latter you could go to school to become a dentist. Being a dentist will give you the option to open your own practice if you so desire.

8. Dental Assistant Government Jobs

The last reason and our number 8 reason to become a D.A.

is the opportunity to work for the government. Why is this a pro? Working for the government gives you great benefits. For example, the government provides comprehensive benefit packages. They include things like excellent healthcare plans, good retirement plans, vacation time, sick leave and paid holidays. Another great benefit is that the government doesn’t go out of business and if you decide to go back into the private sector, it looks great on your resume.

Conclusion

There you have it, 8 reasons to be a dental assistant. If you’re looking into becoming a dental assistant, we recommend looking at some testimonials so you can get an idea of what your peers and their parents have to say.

If you have any other questions you might want to ask us, even if it’s via text, please contact us here. At Santa Clarita School of Dental Assisting we are always happy to help!