Main Content:
DESIRABLE ATTRIBUTES FOR DENTAL ASSISTANTS:
- Personable, friendly, cheerful, positive, a "people person"
- Has excellent communication skills
- Has excellent manual dexterity
- Enjoys caring for others
- Demonstrates compassion and empathy
- Flexible, enjoys variety, adaptable
- Demonstrates initiative, a self starter, self motivated
- Strives for excellence and efficiency in all tasks
- Is dependable, has excellent attendance
- Enjoys being busy
- Enjoys working in a professional environment
- Enjoys and accepts new challenges
- Functions effectively as a member of a team
- ENJOYS SMILING!
WORK SCHEDULES:
Dental assistants generally enjoy excellent work schedules. The majority of dental offices are open Monday through Friday, with patient treatment hours from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. (Very few dental offices have evening or weekend hours.)
The majority of dental assisting positions are full time, however, part-time positions and job-share positions are available.
Dental staff routinely attend dental meetings and conferences to update their skills and to learn new dental techniques. This also provides them the opportunity to network with other dental professionals throughout the state or nation.
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES:
The outlook is good for careers in healthcare, and dentistry is an important part of healthcare. Projections indicate that there will continue to be a need for qualified dental assistants well into the new century. Employment opportunities in dental assisting continue to exist in southeastern Minnesota.
Placement of RCTC Dental Assisting graduates seeking employment has been good!