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Oral Surgeon Assistant |
Career OverviewIn dentistry, oral surgeon assistants play a vital role in facilitating the best possible patient care. They are typically dental assistants with advanced, specialist training that qualifies them to work under the supervision of oral surgeons.
Depending on their level of training, an oral surgeon assistant may be responsible for assisting post-graduate oral surgery and periodontology residents, in ambulatory general anesthesia clinics, in implant surgeries, in the maintenance of surgical rooms, and in the upkeep of supplies, orders, and patient educational packages.
For the most part, oral surgeon assistants obtain patient medical histories, perform routine physical examinations, and undertake standard laboratory tests to assist oral surgeons in preparation for surgical procedures.
Oral surgeon assistants also perform routine pre-operative and post-operative procedures. They also assist during the surgery; they monitor the patient’s vital signs and manage the surgical instruments used during the procedure.
In modern dentistry and in modern medicine – two fields that overlap in oral surgery – most of the surgeons work, at least in part, in an office setting. They tend to meet with patients prior to undertaking any surgical procedure and prior to admitting the patient for the procedure, to discuss the precise nature of the surgery, any requirements that they surgeon has of the patient pre-operatively (such as avoidance of foods for 24 hours before an operation), potential complications of or risk factors relating to the surgery, and what to expect post-operatively in terms of pain, for example.
As the practice of dentistry changes over the next decade, with fewer people expected to require extensive dental work due to an improvement in the fluoride content of water drunk by the younger generations, oral surgery will probably still remain an important practice. More people are retaining their natural teeth but this may mean that, in some cases, complex procedures may still be required.
Oral surgeon assistants can expect to remain important members of the dental care team overall.
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Career RequirementsOral surgeon assistants must generally have either considerable, relevant technical training in oral surgery, or they must hold an Associates degree with a Dental Assistant and Radiology Certification.
A minimum of one year of experience as a dental assistant is required and candidates for oral surgeon assistant positions must demonstrate a sound knowledge of sterilization techniques, vital signs, and patient history review procedures.
Most employers prefer oral surgeon assistants to have a detailed knowledge of medicine to the extent that they should be familiar with medical environments and they should be able to provide viable assistance in a medial emergency.
They also prefer candidates with bachelor degrees and at least five years employment experience; at least one year of experience in oral surgery is considered desirable, as oral surgery is a very specific area of practice. The more relevant experience an assistant has, the better the oral surgeon can perform.
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Job OutlookThe demand for oral surgeon assistants is growing as the need for surgical services increases in dentistry. The dental industry, as part of the health care industry, is changing; as it does, oral surgeon assistants will find an increasingly significant placement amongst oral surgeons, radiologists, dentists, and pathologists.
The job outlook for oral surgeon assistants is excellent and candidates should expect to take on more responsibilities in these positions as the transformation of the dental industry progresses.
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Career TrackOral surgical assistants work in either a general or surgical dental office. Some may work in private practices, ranging from small to large. Others may work in larger dental clinics or in hospital settings.
Promotion as an oral surgical assistant is certainly possible and will only become more so as these professionals receive more responsibilities. Experience and demonstrated skill warrant promotions, either to a supervisory position or to a larger practice or clinic that promises a greater work load and greater professional autonomy for qualified oral surgeon assistants.
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CompensationCompensation for full-time oral surgeon assistants ranges between $40,000 and $65,000 per year depending on experience, qualification level, and the precise nature of the position.
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