Dental Assistant

Duties and Responsibilities

                         The duties of a dental assistant are among the most comprehensive and varied in the dental office. The dental assistant performs many tasks requiring both interpersonal and technical skills. Although state regulations vary, responsibilities may include:

• assisting the dentist during a variety of treatment procedures
• taking and developing dental radiographs (x-rays)
• asking about the patient's medical history and taking blood pressure and pulse
• serving as an infection control officer, developing infection control protocol and preparing and sterilizing instruments and equipment
• helping patients feel comfortable before, during and after dental treatment

Salary:$58,000

Education
            It takes a relatively short period of time to become a dental assistant. Dental assistants receive their formal education through academic programs at community colleges, vocational schools, technical institutes, universities or dental schools. Graduates of these programs usually receive certificates. Although the majority of academic dental assisting programs take nine to eleven months to complete, some schools offer accelerated training, part-time education programs or training via distance education.

Demand needed for this Profession

                 Dental assistants perform many tasks, ranging from providing patient care and taking x rays to record keeping and scheduling appointments. Their duties vary by state and by the dentists’ office where they work.Almost all dental assistants work in dentists’ offices. Most work full time.

Reflection: Do you think you would like to be one? Why or why not?
                     I think I would like to be one because it doesn’t take as much responsibility as the actual Dentist. However, I know that I would be making less money.

Student Success Statement

"You cannot do wrong and feel right. It is impossible."

~Ezra T. Benson

This quote means that after choosing to do what's not right, knowing it is wrong, you feel that guilt. This is just telling you that you knew what you're doing, and you know consequences but  yet you still choose it. For example, when your parents don't allow you to eat anything before dinner, but you really want that snack of yours and so you eat it. After your mom mom notices and punishes you with no snacks for two weeks because you didn't obey her. You knew it was wrong and you felt guilt after eating that snack but you also felt pleasure because you really wanted it. This shows that we should be responsible for our decisions of our choices in life.

" The key to freedom is obedience. The more obedient we are, the more freedom we have."

Boyd K. Packer

This quote is telling that we all need freedom. In order to get this freedom, we need to be obedient.It includes doing all your chores, homework, and other responsibilities. For us to grow mature and stable, we need to know whats right and what's wrong. 

Student Success Statements

"Education is the latch key to success"

~Gordon B. Hinckley

I think this quote means that in order for anyone to be successful in things or in life, we need to be educated. Education is the process of facilitating, or the gain of knowledge, skills, values, beliefs, and habits. Success is an achievement of an action. Therefore, in order for us to achieve something whether in learning how to do something or how to become someone important in life, we that education. Without education we'd have no success, and no success means we're not successful. Success may have different meanings to each of us. No matter what success means to  you, it's still important and you still try hard to get to it. For example, you can be in love with a sport and really like it, so you practice really hard to get good at it. At the end of the month you realize that you're better than your friends and you're finally successful. This shows us that even for the smallest things in the world you need education for it. Practicing was part of that education and finally being better than your friends was your success.

Student Success Portfolio

 "Decisions Determine Destiny"

~Thomas S. Monson

 I think this quotes means that whatever you do now in the present, will reflect on your future. The decisions we make can be either wrong or right, never neutral. We are old enough to know what we're choosing and smart enough to know what's right. Unfortunately, many of us choose to do the wrong because its satisfies them. For example, cheating on a test. After cheating on a test and not getting caught, you think you've succeeded. However, when you try to get a job in your real life situation, you fail for not making the right decision before an studying for your test. This may not seem important, but it's true. On the other hand, when making the right decision, you get the contrary and get a good reward or a good scene in your future. This quote is saying that decisions, (what you think in your mind and decide to do physically) determine destiny (your future or your "success").

Student Success Statements

"Obedience is the great test of life"

Thomas S. Monson

                                          Obedience is what everyone does to not get into any trouble, or just to do the right thing. If a child doesn't obey the commands of his/her parent, then the mother or father punishes the child for not being obedient. This is to show the child to be obedient and teach him to do the right thing. This is an example for the quote because it shows and tells us that without rules or commands, everyone would grow up to do whatever they want whenever they want to. However, since our world is very clear about laws and rules, we need to follow them in order to live right. If a parent doesn't show there child hot to obey and follow rules, then the child will grow up to be spoiled and have a crooked life. For example, he wouldn't want to work to survive, he would want to do everything his way, or he wouldn't want anyone to tell him what to do. That's why the quote says that obedience is the great test of life, if you don't pass obedience you've failed life.