Becoming a Dental Assistant in Boston, Massachusetts
As a dental assistant, you’ll be working closely with patients, dentists, and dental specialists to ensure not only the smooth running of the practice but also patient comfort. Your duties will include seating and preparing for patients, charting, developing and processing x-rays and impressions, inventory control, and, of course, assisting the dentist during procedures.
Living and working in Boston is an exciting experience. The city and state capitol is rich in revolutionary and cultural history. But it’s also known for innovation, with more than 2000 startups. As a commercial hub for close to 8 million people, Boston has everything: abundant parkland (including America’s first public park, the Boston Common); some of the best educational institutions in the country, from Harvard Medical School to the Berklee School of Music; and an economy that’s the sixth largest in the country and the twelfth largest in the world.
Boston Schools for Dental Assistants
In only nine weeks you can train to become a dental assistant. This formal education will prepare you to take DANB’s National Entry Level Dental Assistant (NELDA) certification exams. State certification requirements are listed here.
- Boston University, Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine. This program combines lectures and hands-on training. Students will observe and assist in general dentistry clinics and will rotate shadowing of dental specialities, including prosthodontics, periodontics, oral surgery, orthodontics, and endodontics among others. Located in South End Boston, the school is near the Sunday SoWa Open Market, dozens of restaurants, and the lovely Berkeley Community Gardens, Union Square Park and the historic South End South Burying Ground.
- Boston Career Institute, Brookline and Malden. With two campuses in the Greater Boston area, both of which are near public libraries, parks and other amenities including restaurants and coffee shops, Boston Career Institute offers both hands-on and in-class training as well as an internship program.
Career Outlook and Salary Expectations
Greater Boston area dental assistants make an average $22.03 per hour or $45,820 annually. Most dental assistants work standard office hours, unlike many in healthcare positions. With increased awareness of how dental health can impact general health and improved cosmetic procedures available to adults as well as children, dentistry is a growth area and dental assistants will always be in demand.
Working as a Dental Assistant in Boston
While Massachusetts as a state isn’t growing at a phenomenal rate, Boston as a city is. Between 2010 and 2014 its population grew 6 percent, twice the national rate, and added nearly 45,000 jobs, most of them in professional services, healthcare and education. Boston is looking at adding 53,000 homes to its current housing inventory, to meet shifting demographic needs for smaller households, more young adults, and affordable housing for retiring Baby Boomers. Whether it’s Boston’s unique cultural heritage, its vibrant growth, or its reputation for educational excellence, Boston has something for everyone.