The Evolving Role of Dental Assistants: Emerging Trends and Specialisations
If you’re thinking about attending a dental assistant school in New York, it’s a great time for it! There’s increasing demand for dental assistants across the state, and it’s one of the easiest ways to get into the dental field. You can potentially become licensed and have a new job in only 6-9 months!
However, completing your NY dental assistant courses is only going to be the start of your journey. To keep moving up the ladder, and get better offers from your employers, you need to look towards the future. Continuing education, and following industry trends, will do a lot to keep your career moving.
What trends should you be looking to? Here are the important ones for the 2020s and potentially beyond.
Continuing Education and Skill Training for NY Dental Assistants
1 – Tele-dentistry
Ever since COVID, tele-medicine has been taking off in a big way. Modern videoconferencing tools allow patients to consult with their clinic remotely, as well as offering a great option for patients with mobility issues who can’t always make it to in-clinic appointments. You should be familiar with the popular videoconferencing apps such as Zoom, FaceTime, and Skype, both for your own sake, and to assist patients who may have technical issues.
Likewise, you should become as good at video-based customer service as you are at face-to-face interactions.
2 – Digital processes
Digital tools are increasingly making their way into traditional dentistry. For example, 3D Computer Aided Design (CAD) programs, once mostly used by engineers and architects, are now increasingly used to model and design dental implants and prosthetics. 3D printing is also beginning to be utilized to create dental pieces.
Knowledge of CAD systems, 3D printing, and similar digital design tools could make you highly valuable to cutting-edge clinics – and those are the ones that pay the big money!
3 – Preventative and holistic care
While preventative care has always been an element of dentistry, there has been an increased push for it in modern clinics. Many are now also embracing a holistic “whole body” care model, where dental patients are coached on their lifestyle and overall bodily health, since this can also help improve their dental health.
Being familiar with these concepts and keeping yourself educated on the current best-practices for preventative and holistic dentistry, will make you a very desirable hire for these progressive clinics.
4 – Green dentistry
Finally, many clinics are becoming aware of how much medical waste is generated by dentistry and are looking to reduce it. This is typically a combination of aggressive recycling, embrace of e-cycling electronics, and use of more environmentally friendly materials. This is another area where a well-informed dental assistant will be highly valued by their employer!
If you’re looking for a great dental assistant course in New York, look no further than the Westchester School for Medical and Dental Assistants. We offer day, evening, and weekend classes, so your education can fit into any schedule.
