Oral surgery assistants help with various teeth and gum procedures.
Oral surgery assistants are specialized dental assistants who help with surgical procedures that treat the teeth and tissues of the mouth. Oral surgeons' procedures can include tooth extractions, jaw surgery, reshaping of the gum or dental implants to replace missing teeth, according to Dentistry.com. Oral surgery assistants usually must complete at least a year of formal training to be successful in this field.
Duties
Oral surgery assistants are responsible for preparing surgery areas and patients for operations, according to DegreeDirectory.org. Their duties include taking and recording a patient’s vital signs such as blood pressure and respiration rate. They additionally assist surgeons with general anesthesia and intravenous sedation procedures, reports Payscale.com. During treatment, oral surgery assistants transfer surgical instruments to oral surgeons and prepare surgical dressings. They also retract a patient’s cheek or lip as necessary so the dentist can view the surgical area, and they perform suctioning to keep the patient’s mouth dry and clear. They must monitor intravenous fluids and vital signs during a procedure as well.
Other Responsibilities
Sterilizing instruments is another important task of oral surgery assistants. Oral surgery assistants also must monitor patients following surgery and give them post-operative care instructions. These health care professionals additionally can take and develop dental radiographs, prepare prescriptions, maintain inventories of supplies, write in patients’ treatment charts and prepare patient consent forms regarding surgery and the use of anesthesia. Oral surgery assistants might have to schedule patient appointments as well.
Skills
The ability to take direction from an oral surgeon is an important quality of an oral surgery assistant. Oral surgery assistants also should be able to work quickly, be organized and be detail-oriented. They should have good manual dexterity and be able to stand on their feet for long periods as well. In addition, oral surgery assistants should be reliable and have strong interpersonal communication skills for working with other dental office team members and patients.
Education
Employers often look for oral surgery assistants who have a one-year certificate or two-year associate degree in dental assisting as well as experience in oral surgery. Educational programs are available at community colleges and technical/vocational schools and usually require students to complete an externship, during which they can choose to gain hands-on experience in an oral surgeon’s office. Oral surgery assistants also can seek certification as a certified dental assistant through the Dental Assisting National Board by passing an examination.
Outlook
Employment of dental assistants, which include oral surgery assistants, is projected to climb 36 percent from 2008 to 2018, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. The positive outlook of the dental field can be attributed to a growing population and the fact that more elderly people are keeping their natural teeth. Median annual wages of dental assistants in May 2008 were $32,380, reports the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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