www.dotcomhunter.com Dental Assistant Pay Becoming a Dental Assistant not only prepares you for a wonderful car eer working in the dental field, is also pays very well. Since this a rea of employment is anticipated to be one of the most in demand over the next six years, your chances of securing a great job with great pay and benefits is very likely. The Median hourly rate of pay for Dental Assistants is $13.62. This i s well above the minimum wage established in most states. In addition to a great hourly wage, many Dental Assistants will receive bonuses if the dental office is doing well, health insurance, and discounted dental procedures. Almost all Dental Assistants receive paid vacation days, sick days, and paid Holidays. However, earning such a high hourly wage comes with a great level of responsibility. Dental Assistants perform duties relating to patient care, office sanitation, lab duties, and assisting the dentist and hy gienist with a variety of procedures. Dental Assistants need to be al ert, pay attention to detail, and have effective communication skills . They must also be able to provide patients with comfort measures bo th before and after procedures are completed. Dental Assistants are easily confused with Dental Hygienists. Compare d to hygienists, who have a median rate of pay of $23.65 per hour, a Dental Assistant is not making a very good hourly wage. However, they are very different professions. A Dental Assistant does just that, a ssists the dentist and hygienist with providing the best quality care for all patients. A hygienist takes care of cleaning teeth and gener ally has a steady stream of patients who come in every six months for routine cleaning procedures. The amount of pay a Dental Assistant earns depends on many factors. Th e cost of living in your area will be the greatest influence. The amou nt of revenue the dental office you work for generates will also be a deciding factor. New dentists might have to pay less than established dentists will clientele because they don’t have the traffic coming int o the office. However, it is very possible your pay will increase as m ore patients are drawn to that dental office. Your level of experience will also be a consideration. You may have to accept a position that pays less than average to get your foot in the door and gain some hands on experience. However, with the deman d for Dental Assistants, you should have no problem securing employm ent. Many dental offices want to keep quality Dental Assistants. The y may offer to start you at a lower entry level pay, with the unders tanding that your performance will be reviewed in 90 days or other t ime frame. Based on your performance, you pay will be adjusted at th A gift from www.dotcomhunter.comwww.dotcomhunter.com at time. It is important to understand that certified and uncertified Dental As sistants complete the same types of tasks. However, those who are cert ified earn several dollars more per hour than those who aren’t certifi ed. Therefore, it makes perfect sense to take the certification exam e arly on in your career as a Dental Assistant. PPPPP Word Count 505 A gift from www.dotcomhunter.com