Most of the people who inquire about the profession of dentistry or even practice it in a dental office with other dentist s mostly come to know only the good, positive and bright side of the profession and dental assistant benefits but is there any profession which promises for no difficulties or challenges at all? Of course not, nothing comes easy in this life and so is the dentistry.

Like everything else in this world, dental assistant profession, though provide more benefits but it poses some of its challenges to the aspirers. In this blog, I’ve tried to jot down some of the objective but honest list for all those who are interested in knowing both pros and cons of dentistry.

Let’s first check out the brighter side or say the Pros of being a dental assistant

Good Income

No doubt dentistry career provides the potential to earn a phenomenal income but it’s not that easy. You have to face a lot of challenges to earn that stable income. It is not easy money that you can earn while sitting in the comfort of your chair.

Variety

No two days are always same in this field. You will come across of different challenges and situations which will help you in learning more about this profession. Your life becomes too interesting with new happenings and your capability to deal with changes and constant learning able makes it more enjoy

Autonomy

This profession allows you to be your own boss. Decide whatever you want to do and when to do.

Great Hours

Dentistry is usually practiced in a fraction of day and a preferred part-time activity for many people. It allows you to set your schedule and maintain a balanced lifestyle.

Warm Fuzzies

With this profession comes the feeling of serving humanity. Since you bring happiness and satisfaction to the people with your experience and qualification, it gives a sense of gratification and fulfillment.

Creativity

There is a lot of creativity in dentistry which many people may not realize. Carving and sculpting is such an art and you use this skill for crafting different solutions for your patients.

Demand

People always need dental services and there is always a demand for dentists so if you find your own specialty area you will get your patients, doesn’t matter how many are already there in the market.

Solutions

On daily basis, you get the chance to provide solutions to the problems of patients and actually fixing the things for them. Not everybody gets this chance this much in the life.

Off course, there is a darker side too, but it’s just to make you aware of what the profession comes with and not to bully you with your dreams or goals. By understanding this list you’ll be able to better prepare yourself for embarking upon this journey.

Education

Every profession demands a specialized education so get ready for good 8 years of schooling (including 4 years of college) to enjoy the outcomes you crave for.

Cost

Undoubtedly, dental schools are expensive. You can expect to get thousands dollar student loan to support you financially and continuing your studies. But don’t worry, the income you earn after completion will quickly pay off this loan and you sit in a win-win situation.

Stress

With the high responsibility comes the high stress. This is customer service industry where mouth of word speaks so loud. If you do the right things, happy customers will move you to the top but there are some customers who can never be happy, no matter what you do for them. Managing business, keeping customer happy and giving your best all at the same time is such a stressful thing to accomplish.

High responsibility

Since you are in charge of what you do, you need to shoulder high responsibilities. Administering anesthesia, prescribing drugs, and essentially performing surgery on teeth are all the great responsibilities that are to be taken seriously. When things go wrong, which they do – even when you do everything properly – it’s your responsibility end of the day and you have to take care of this.

Costs, again

High practice overhead. High fees of learning these qualifications results in such higher dental fees which many patients may not realize.

Unpredictability

There’s never a dull moment, where you get a chance to learn new things, you need to keep on your toes all day long. Whether it’s a kooky patient, an assistant who calls in sick, or an emergency root canal the day will fly by and these unpredictable events can make a day really challenging, really long, and really tiring.

High intensity

Working with many different people can be a “pro” but working only at a distance of 6 inches with someone’s face for longer hours gets really exhausting.

The yuck factor

You might have to deal with bad breath, stinky people, and some really gross mouths. When you’re used to practicing, the gross-out factor is pretty rare, but still putting up will this yuck factor can really be daunting sometimes.

Dental insurance

Fortunately, dentistry hasn’t taken the same road that medicine has, but it is still a driving force in dental practice today. Insurance coverage is poor at best, and in the end this leaves both the patients and the dentists unhappy. Dentists struggle to get adequately paid for their work, and patients get pissed at the dentists when their insurance won’t cover a procedure.