The entire population of this nation is actively taking more interest in maintaining its oral health. Every passing day, we find more and more people going to dentists not only for cleansing and major dental work, but also for cosmetic dental procedures. As a result, a career as a Dental Assistant has become a quite lucrative one for many. Opportunities are galore in this field and from now until the year 2012, this field will experience a major growth.

For Dental Assistants, the most common place of employment is that of a dental office. Here, the Dental Assistants have to provide a variety of services, such as comforting scared patients, giving the patients a follow up care once the appointment is over and cleaning the dentist tools to make sure they are ready for the next patient's appointment. The Dental Assistants have to work very closely with the Dentists and Hygienists, and often sit during the procedures to handle the staff the required tools. In addition to all this, Dentist Assistants often have to help with the lab work and assist in taking X-rays.

Another common place of employment for Dental Assistants is the prison. As more and more prisons are being built all across the nation, the demand for Dental Assistants in prisons is also rising. The demand for Dental Assistants in any type of prison, whether it is Federal, State or privately owned, is quite high. However, working here as a Dental Assistant calls for more attention. One needs to be more aware of the risks of communicable diseases, when working in such an environment. For inmates, any dental tool can be used as a weapon against staff or other inmates. Hence, in such a situation it's of primary importance to keep a track of all the dental tools and not let the inmate or the tools out of sight even for a single moment. If one discovers that a tool is missing, then he/she should immediately inform the supervisor and be on the guard.

Dental Assistants can also look for employment options in other places, such as Child Development Center, Head Start, or Migrant program. One can choose this employment place, especially if one has a desire to help the lower income population. Although employment in these agencies generally pay less than other options, one can make this choice if he/she prefers to help those in need instead of earning more money. Similar employment opportunities are also available in agencies that serve the disabled.

Very few employment options have such a diverse range of environment choices and this makes the career option of a Dental Assistant even more lucrative. One can even check if a particular environment is suiting him/her by trying the place out for a few days. A few days experience will provide one with ample exposure to the the working environment and conditions and help one make the right choice.