What Do Orthodontic Dental Assistants Do?
Within the world of dental assisting, you could be a general, orthodontic, periodontia, pediatric, or other type of dental assistant. Each type of dentistry has its own differences, daily routine, pros and cons, and culture associated with the area. With the variety of specialties, you will find the work culture and routine you’ve been looking for.
Orthodontic Dental Assistants
Orthodontic dental care revolves around repositioning teeth to correct bites or to give the smile a more cosmetically appealing look. By using several types of x-rays, orthodontists plan how to move teeth and correct jawbone placement to not only improve smiles cosmetically, but to improve lives by correcting bites to help patients chew their food better, speak, and live comfortably.
Routine and Scheduling
Orthodontic care typically does not have emergency cases, so while general dental assistants may need to be on-call over a weekend, orthodontic dental assistants have a more static schedule.
Daily Tasks for Orthodontic Dental Assistants
There are a lot of similarities between general dental clinics and orthodontic clinics. Both have space set aside for sterilizing instruments, taking x-rays, and chairs to see patients. In an orthodontic clinic, it’s still the dental assistant's job to set up the chairs before the patient arrives, assist the orthodontist through procedures and exams, change out old bands to new bands on braces, and clean the chairs after the patient leaves.
Enroll in 90 Day Dental Assisting
To become an orthodontic dental assistant, you need to have a high school diploma or GED equivalent. Most training is on-the-job, but some states will require you to have a certification. To have a leg up on the entry-level competition, it isn’t a bad idea to obtain a degree or certification from training. 90 Day Dental Assisting’s online program will prepare you for a long career in the dental field; no matter what you’ll specialize in! You’ll learn techniques, study for certification tests, and gain experience to land a job as a dental assistant. If you have any questions about our curriculum, we’re more than happy to meet you and answer questions! We’re excited to get to know you!