Future Demand for Dental Assistants
May 12, 2015
3 Reasons Why The Future Looks Bright for Dental Assistants
In Dental Assisting There’s a Bright Future in Bright Smiles. Good Dental Assistants are essential in helping offices run smoothly. They perform administrative and clinical tasks for dental offices, clinics, and specialty practices such as orthodontists’, periodontists’ and oral surgeons’ offices.
Students in the Dental Assisting program at First Institute receive hands-on training in office, lab and clinical procedures. Because they have a wide variety of responsibilities, Dental Assistants must pay attention to detail, be analytical and communicate effectively.
Labor market researchers expect the health care industry to experience significant growth in the coming years. In particular, Dental Assisting is among the faster growing occupations in the country. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the number of dental assistant jobs will increase by 11% by 2028. This can be attributed to several factors:
1. Changing attitudes about oral health
Ongoing research linking oral health and general health will likely continue to increase the demand for preventive dental services. As a result, dental practices will need to hire more assistants to complete routine tasks, allowing dentists to spend more time on more complex procedures.
2. Older people have more of their original teeth
As the average age of the country continues to rise, people are keeping more of their original teeth. The need to maintain and treat teeth will continue to increase the need for dental care.
3. More people have dental insurance
The Affordable Care Act requires U.S. residents to have health insurance. Because people are buying new health coverage, they often opt for dental coverage as well. People with new or expanded dental insurance coverage will be more likely to visit a dentist. These newly-insured patients will likely increase demand for dental services.
One more thing you should know about a Dental Assisting career
U.S. News & World Report recently published its annual “100 Best Jobs” list, which is an annual report detailing the best jobs in the country. Among them is a Dental Assistant, which came in at #7 in Best Jobs Without a College Degree and #12 in Best Healthcare Support Jobs. The judges use criteria that includes job growth, median salary, job prospects, employment rate, stress level and work-life balance.
If you are interested in a rewarding career in the growing health care industry and would like to know more about First Institute’s Dental Assisting Program, call 815-459-3500.
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