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Working as Dental Assistants in Prisons
- By Chia Moses
- Published September 23rd, 2008
- Community Health
- Unrated
One of the best factors of choosing the profession of Dental Assistants, is the variety it offers to you. One can not only have a socially-enrichening experience of working at a dental facility and meet many new people but also work in prisons.
Dental Assistants are in a lot of demand from prisons. Today, most states are trying to set up a dental facility units in prisons for the inmates. Whereas many Dental Assistants prefer not to work within a prison due to safety reasons, some are driven by this challenging experience itself to choose the same.
As a Dental Assistant, one should always have the main objective of helping others, irrespective of their status, class, race or religion. Many Dental Assistants feel that all individuals, even criminals, are entitled to dental care and as a result, have no qualms in working in a prison.
One can also keep in mind that an employment in prison would get a Dental Assistant a substantially higher pay that what one can expect in regular dental facilities. The pay in Federal Prisons are even better.
However, as is true in all cases, the higher pay has a catch to it. The risks involved and the chances of communicable diseases are much more in prisons than it is in other dental facilities.
As a Dental Assistant, you should be aware of all such risks involved otherwise
you might put not only yourself but also other staff-members and inmates, in danger. In prison, a Dental Assistant can never afford to let his/her guard down. Some inmates are on the constant look out for tools or instruments with which they can harm other inmates or which may assist them in escaping.
Ensure that you keep all the dental instruments well away from their reach. Also make sure that you are never alone with any inmate.
Inmates are often great con artists and it is for your own benefit that you shouldn't trust them too much. Instincts can be of major assistance to a Dental Assistant working in a prison. Always keep a close track of all dental tools and if you find one missing, immediately inform the authority. Even a slight delay can cause a major mishap.
In prison, a Dental Assistant is also at a substantially greater risk of contacting any communicable disease that can be transmitted through saliva, blood and other bodily fluids.
As exciting as working as a Dental Assistant in a prison might sound, one should give a careful thought to it before making a decision.
You should carefully consider all the benefits as well as the dangers involved. Greater pay and the chance to help people in need are definitely two important positive factors of making this choice, but the dangers associated with it also cannot be just ignored. The risks of making this choice should be properly assessed and evaluated.
Dental Assistants are in a lot of demand from prisons. Today, most states are trying to set up a dental facility units in prisons for the inmates. Whereas many Dental Assistants prefer not to work within a prison due to safety reasons, some are driven by this challenging experience itself to choose the same.
As a Dental Assistant, one should always have the main objective of helping others, irrespective of their status, class, race or religion. Many Dental Assistants feel that all individuals, even criminals, are entitled to dental care and as a result, have no qualms in working in a prison.
One can also keep in mind that an employment in prison would get a Dental Assistant a substantially higher pay that what one can expect in regular dental facilities. The pay in Federal Prisons are even better.
However, as is true in all cases, the higher pay has a catch to it. The risks involved and the chances of communicable diseases are much more in prisons than it is in other dental facilities.
As a Dental Assistant, you should be aware of all such risks involved otherwise
Ensure that you keep all the dental instruments well away from their reach. Also make sure that you are never alone with any inmate.
Inmates are often great con artists and it is for your own benefit that you shouldn't trust them too much. Instincts can be of major assistance to a Dental Assistant working in a prison. Always keep a close track of all dental tools and if you find one missing, immediately inform the authority. Even a slight delay can cause a major mishap.
In prison, a Dental Assistant is also at a substantially greater risk of contacting any communicable disease that can be transmitted through saliva, blood and other bodily fluids.
As exciting as working as a Dental Assistant in a prison might sound, one should give a careful thought to it before making a decision.
You should carefully consider all the benefits as well as the dangers involved. Greater pay and the chance to help people in need are definitely two important positive factors of making this choice, but the dangers associated with it also cannot be just ignored. The risks of making this choice should be properly assessed and evaluated.