The healthcare industry is growing faster than most industries in the nation. As a result, job security is high! In addition to the high demand, healthcare provides rewarding career opportunities. If you’re deciding between pursuing dental assisting or medical assisting, the information below will help you narrow down your options. Although each career path have a lot in common, there are some defining differences.
Dental Assistant and Medical Assistant Job Duties
Dental assistants and medical assistants play a primary role in ensuring patient comfort. They’re often the first face patients see and a primary point of contact throughout their visit. Both professionals show patients to their treatment room and pass patient medical history, questions, and concerns on to a licensed professional. Below is a general list of their job duties.
Dental Assistants (DA)
Dental assistants primarily work in dental clinics, but may also work for an endocrinologist, public health facility, dental supplier, or dental manufacturing company. A defining difference is that DAs must have the dexterity to maneuver small tools in a small treatment area.
- Ensuring patients are comfortable before and during their treatments.
- Patient intake, blood pressure, and pulse.
- Taking and developing x-rays.
- Completing dental pantographs.
- Providing patients with follow-up care instructions.
- Assisting the dentist and hygienist during treatments.
- Infection control and sterilization.
- Clerical and administrative tasks.
Expanded Duties Dental Assistant (EDDA)
With EDDA training dental assistants can also:
- Apply multiple techniques of Pit and Fissure Sealants.
- Apply fluoride.
- Place multiple methods of isolation techniques for restorative dentistry of Matrix Systems.
- Place, condense, carve, finish, and polish Amalgam and Composite Restorations.
- Trim and polish intermediate crowns and bridges.
- Place temporary crowns and bridges.
Medical Assistants (MA)
Medical assistants assist doctors and nurses in a variety of medical centers. From private practices to large clinics, hospitals, elderly care centers, and more. MAs need to be comfortable working with the whole body.
Job duties often include:
- Taking medical histories and documenting symptoms.
- Taking vitals and recording height and weight.
- Explaining treatment procedures to patients.
- Preparing patients for examinations.
- Assisting the physician during examinations.
- Collecting and preparing laboratory specimens.
- Performing basic laboratory tests.
- Instructing patients about medication and nutrition.
- Preparing and administering injections.
- Taking electrocardiograms (ECGs).
- Wound care and changing dressings.
- Infection control and sterilization.
- Administrative and clerical duties.
Education and Certification Requirements
Although some states require DAs and MAs to be certified, in Colorado certification is not required for either career path. However, most employers prefer candidates to have formal training from an accredited program. Accredited programs prepare students for their hands-on job duties and include CPR training (to prepare for CPR certification) and infection control training. DAs must also complete the Radiation Health and Safety Exam in order to perform X-rays.
In terms of time, Standard Dental Assistant Training only takes 13 weeks at AIDA, and 7 more weeks for Expanded Duties Dental Assistant Training. Medical assistant programs in the state take a minimum of 9 months.
At AIDA we prepare you for all the certifications you’ll take through DANB (Dental Assistant National Board). Plus these certificates are recognized in over 39 states so you’ll be able to transfer your certifications to many states around the country.
Salary, Job Security, and Quality of Life
Now that you know what to expect in terms of job duties and training, let’s dive into other essential deciding factors when choosing your career path.
Salary
According to Indeed, in Colorado, dental assistants:
- Start at an average of $17.23 per hour.
- Have a median salary of $22.17 per hour.
- Max out at around $28.53 per hour.
*Maximum salary typically requires EDDA training.
According to Indeed, in Colorado, medical assistants:
- Start at an average of $16.83 per hour.
- Have a median salary of $21.01 per hour.
- Max out at around $26.25 per hour.
Job Security
The nationwide expected job growth in most industries is 5%. The job growth for dental assistants is 7%, and 14% for medical assistants.
Benefits
Either career path typically offer attractive medical, dental, vacation time, and 401K. Medical assistants who work in hospitals and large medical facilities may enjoy more attractive benefit packages.
Quality of Life
Dental assistants most often work a set and predictable schedule. Typically, Monday through Friday, no later than 6 pm, with short shifts on Saturdays.
Medical assistants may be required to work night shifts, doubles, and swing shifts and may need to be on call. It takes time to build seniority for day shifts and weekends off.
Would You Like to Learn More About Becoming a DA for your career path?
If you’ve decided that dental assisting is right for you, we invite you to schedule a free tour at AIDA. Our program stands out because we provide hands-on training in a live dental clinic. We also have convenient evening and weekend classes, as most of our students continue to work full-time.