At Sanger Education Dental Assisting School, we do our best to prepare the students in our programs to be qualified, knowledgeable, capable, confident, and ready to earn their desired credentials and have a successful career in the field of dental assisting. More than 300,000 dental assistants work in the United States and bring unique backgrounds and qualities to the profession. But we think there are a few “types” of dental assistants that you might find yourself identifying with.

The Team Player

This dental assistant isn’t the only staff member who works with the dentist. Unless the office is tiny, you’ll likely also work with billing and administrative professionals along with dental hygienists. The Team Player can effectively communicate with the rest of the office staff and make the workday run smoothly and increase the dentist’s overall efficiency. If you are this type, you will be happy to jump in and help where needed.

The Patient Pleaser

Dental assisting revolves around the patient. In this profession, you’ll spend the majority of your time interacting with and helping patients. This requires the ability to communicate effectively. It also means that, as a dental assistant, you should enjoy working with people. This dental assistant will do anything to make a patient smile. From telling a funny story to holding a nervous patient’s hand, the Patient Pleaser focuses on patient comfort and satisfaction.

The Anxiety Alleviator

Dental procedures aren’t always easy on the patient. According to a study published in the Dental Research Journal, more than 58 percent of patients surveyed in the study had some form of dental anxiety. Dental assistants can soothe anxious patients with professional care and compassion and reduce their fear of pain or discomfort. Some patients can be apprehensive. This is where the Anxiety Alleviator comes in and does everything possible to make the patient feel at ease. The Anxiety Alleviator can be found explaining dental procedures in detail and busting any dental myths the patient may have had.

Dental assistant jobs are on the rise. The number of jobs in the field is expected to grow faster than the average rate of 19 percent between 2016 and 2026. This could mean the addition of 332,000 jobs, but is dental assisting the job for you? Along with classroom and hands-on training, dental assistants also need personal qualities to be successful. Which type of dental assistant will you be? If you are looking into becoming a dental assistant, you should register for our upcoming course.