Entry-level Dentistry Jobs?

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Hello, pre-dents! I have a quick question.

Other fields in healthcare have fairly accessable jobs that people can do while earning experience in the field. For example, pre-pharm students can get a pharmacy technician position and pre-meds have quite a few options(scribe work, phlebotomy, medical assisting). Are there similar positions for pre-dents? Most of these other jobs only require some on-the-job training, and it seems that the closest thing to this is going to a community college for a year to become a Dental Assistant.

Are there other positions that a high school grad like me could get some on-the-job training and get some experience and pay the interest off of my loans?

Wow, I feel a little stupid.

I even spelled phlebotomy right, but I botched accessible.

I'm typing off my 3DS, which for some reason won't allow me to edit in the window.

Dental assistant. Only very few states require certification (Minnesota comes to mind), most dentists will hire with no experience because they like to teach it THEIR way. Pay is variable on location, around here about $11-13/ hour for dental assistants with no experience. Cheers!

Originally Posted by Screwtape

Dental assistant. Only very few states require certification (Minnesota comes to mind), most dentists will hire with no experience because they like to teach it THEIR way. Pay is variable on location, around here about $11-13/ hour for dental assistants with no experience. Cheers!

Really? Since some states require the certification, I'll look it up for the state I reside in. I naively believed that since there was a course at the local community college, and since I never heard of on-the-job training for a dental assistant, I was convinced the course was necessary.

If NC doesn't require certification, I'll ask my dentist that I go to first and if that doesn't work then I'll cold call. Thank you for your response!

you can work as a dental assistant without having any certificates / degrees (u just won't get paid as much)

however, this SHOULD NOT be done for the sole purpose of strengthening application.... There is nothing to substitute for grades & DAT.

majority of dental applicants (yes Im talkin about the accepted folks) do not have anything but shadowing. Its all thats really required (opps ~ "highly recommended")

Dental assisting is a great one, another one that I'd check out is working as a laboratory technician...making crowns, pouring up casts, etc. This would be a big leg up when you get into school, you'll be an asset to your classmates to give them insight on how to pour up the perfect stone model!

Originally Posted by dentalWorks

you can work as a dental assistant without having any certificates / degrees (u just won't get paid as much)

however, this SHOULD NOT be done for the sole purpose of strengthening application.... There is nothing to substitute for grades & DAT.

majority of dental applicants (yes Im talkin about the accepted folks) do not have anything but shadowing. Its all thats really required (opps ~ "highly recommended")

I'm doing this for a few reasons. Healthcare jobs of all flavors are dependable and pay decent money, and I am interested in dentistry so I think that getting a job would be killing two birds with one stone(after all, unsubsidized loans are at 6.8% interest and if I can pay it down, I can at least keep them in check). Experience never hurt anyone and if I go there and end up not liking it, at least I found out without it costing me in the six-figure range. Thank you for your response! I will keep this in mind.

Originally Posted by Freeskier02

Dental assisting is a great one, another one that I'd check out is working as a laboratory technician...making crowns, pouring up casts, etc. This would be a big leg up when you get into school, you'll be an asset to your classmates to give them insight on how to pour up the perfect stone model!

That sounds like another awesome job to look into! I'd probably have better luck with prosthodontists than my general dentist when it comes to trying to build crowns, but I'll definitely check it out! Thanks for your response!

Have any guys had luck gaining employment as a dental assistant? It appears that most Dentists will only hire females. Any advice on this would be great.

Then I'm in luck!

In all seriousness, especially when a patient is under nitrous oxide sedation, it is sometimes required to have a female present. I'm not too sure why a male would be discriminated against, but you do have a somewhat valid point: in my limited experience, I've yet to see a male assistant or a male hygienist. I don't think it's on purpose, though, there's not many men in either career, so it shows up that way.

Originally Posted by Conflagration

I'm doing this for a few reasons. Healthcare jobs of all flavors are dependable and pay decent money, and I am interested in dentistry so I think that getting a job would be killing two birds with one stone(after all, unsubsidized loans are at 6.8% interest and if I can pay it down, I can at least keep them in check). Experience never hurt anyone and if I go there and end up not liking it, at least I found out without it costing me in the six-figure range. Thank you for your response! I will keep this in mind.

in that case... you can get hired as an assistant (even without a degree/certificate/any experience)... its just you ain't gonna make much.

keep asking around. some dentists actually prefer to hire people like you cause they get to pay you the least while molding you into their "perfect" assistant. My sister (DDS) does this alot, and most of the time it fails lol (the new assistants don't even make it 3 months)

Originally Posted by dentalWorks

in that case... you can get hired as an assistant (even without a degree/certificate/any experience)... its just you ain't gonna make much.

keep asking around. some dentists actually prefer to hire people like you cause they get to pay you the least while molding you into their "perfect" assistant. My sister (DDS) does this alot, and most of the time it fails lol (the new assistants don't even make it 3 months)

Yikes! So, what's the best way to go about this? Call the office, or try to walk in?

Trust me, getting paid minimum wage is fine with me. My brother worked in a sub shop for 6 months and was a store manager, and his pay was never higher than 8 bucks an hour... He was logging 50 hour work weeks with college at the same time and barely breaking even.

I'm there because I'm interested in the field. Hands-on experience is the main reason I'm there, not the paycheck, but the pay's a perk.

Originally Posted by Conflagration

Yikes! So, what's the best way to go about this? Call the office, or try to walk in?

Trust me, getting paid minimum wage is fine with me. My brother worked in a sub shop for 6 months and was a store manager, and his pay was never higher than 8 bucks an hour... He was logging 50 hour work weeks with college at the same time and barely breaking even.

I'm there because I'm interested in the field. Hands-on experience is the main reason I'm there, not the paycheck, but the pay's a perk.

Personally, I am more of a "walk into an office" and ask if they are hiring kinda guy.

I will admit, I am probably the last person to be giving this type of advice as I've never worked as an assistant before (me = ex software engineer.... yeh not much relevance lol)