Anyone who works in pediatric dentistry must work closely with the tooth fairy. Afterall, it takes someone with a lot of patience and compassion to work with kids, especially when it comes to their oral care. As a pediatric dental assistant, you will have a lot of the same responsibilities as if you were treating adult patients, but with the added benefits of helping children. We scoured the internet and found some of the most common questions asked about the pediatric dental assistant career. Take a look below to find out the answers and learn more about the exciting career.
- How do you become a pediatric dental assistant? You will need to attend a reputable school that offers a dental assistant program and after you graduate, you will need to pass a certification exam. In Pima Medical Institute’s Dental Assistant program, students learn how to treat patients from infants all the way to geriatric patients. We do recommend when it comes time for your clinicals to request that you work with a pediatric dentist to get experience. And of course, when it comes time to find a job, you can search for pediatric dental assistant jobs in your area and our career services team can help with placement as well.
- What is pediatric dental care? Pediatric dental care consists of the treating and maintenance of oral care of patients from infancy through their teen years. Pediatric dentists are solely specialized in dental health for children and have the experience and qualifications to care for their teeth, gums and mouth throughout the different stages of childhood. As a pediatric dental assistant, you will assist the dentist and provide oral health services to children.
- Are pediatric dental X-rays necessary and safe? According to KidsSmile Dental, bitewing X-rays are extremely safe for children as they’re exposed to less radiation than they would get daily from natural background sources in the environment. Because of advanced technology, the dentist will get one picture of the entire mouth by panoramic radiography, which also allows for less exposure. You will learn how to take X-rays during our dental assistant program so that you may be prepared when you enter the healthcare field.
You will learn all types of skills in our dental assistant program such as taking X-rays.
- What age does pediatric dentistry stop? Pediatric dentists typically see children from six months to when their final adult teeth come in, which is usually around 12 or 13 years old. However, some parents keep their kids with the pediatric dentist through their teenage years.
- What do pediatric dental assistants make? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a dental assistant’s median annual wage is $41,180 or $19.80 per hour. Employment is projected to grow 11% from 2020 to 2030.
As a pediatric dental assistant, you will be playing an important role by teaching good oral healthcare habits to your young patients, which will set them up for a healthy future with their dental care. Get started toward your dental assistant education with us today.
