Unexpected career paths for dental assistants
Dental assistants are well-versed in many subjects. Their hands-on experience, education, and thorough understanding of dentistry equip them to excel in careers beyond the clinical environment.
These career paths, among others, build on dental assistants’ existing skills and allow them to apply their knowledge in new ways. If you want to remain in the dental industry but prefer not to work with patients directly, these careers might be for you!
Dental Sales
A career in dental sales involves selling and promoting products to dental practices. As a sales representative, you work to enhance the capabilities of a dental practice by finding products that increase efficiency, assist with patient care, or improve operations. Dental sales representatives are also responsible for maintaining customer relationships by having regular meetings with clients to stay in the know about their needs and any problems they want to solve. For instance, if a practice wants to update their patient scheduling processes, they may work with a dental software sales rep to explore options that make it easy to book appointments and keep up with patient information.
By staying updated on new product launches and industry-wide trends, sales representatives can offer useful guidance and education to their customers. Other responsibilities may include seeking new business opportunities, strategizing to reach annual sales goals, communicating with manufacturers, and developing new sales strategies. There are many nuanced areas to specialize in within sales — and a variety of product, service, and software companies — so you can find a role that aligns well with your expertise.
This role can entail traveling to dental practices or conferences to showcase and inform customers of the benefits of various products. Or, if you prefer to stay local, there are also office roles that focus on dental practices in a specific area. In either case, all dental sales representatives go through specialized training to know how to best approach selling products to different audiences. This training also prepares you to adhere to budgets so you can achieve a customer’s goals without overspending.
With robust clinical knowledge, dental assistants often do well in dental sales because they can educate clients on the function of each product they sell. Their dental assisting experience also helps with sales pitches, client retention, and communication with a wide range of industry professionals. There are often a lot of moving parts in sales, so a dental assistant’s ability to manage a full workload aptly prepares them for a role in this field. A DALE Foundation survey found 72% of dental assistants are involved in placing product orders for their practice. Dental assistants who become sales representatives can use their previous knowledge on purchasing decisions to know how to best appeal to customers.
Dental Insurance
Insurance plays a major role in the dental industry. Dental insurance professionals work in corporate settings to verify coverage, process claims, and inform patients of any out-of-pocket costs. They are also instrumental in educating patients on using insurance plans and benefits. These professionals have experience working with medical and dental terminology, so they can accurately interpret doctor notes for patient records. This is a key aspect of dental insurance, so patients can fully understand which services are covered by their plan. Individuals in this role must have strong attention to detail so they can verify coverage for specific dental procedures and services.
Dental insurance careers are well suited for those looking for more flexibility, as there are many remote or hybrid roles available. If your employer has a local office, you may be required to occasionally come in for company-wide meetings or trainings. Remote roles are good for those who enjoy working independently. There is still a lot of collaboration required when working remotely, but you are able to take calls from the comfort of your own home.
Dental assistants have an advantage in this field because they understand insurance operations within a practice and recognize its effect on patient care. With their experience communicating with patients about treatment questions, dental assistants can break down complex insurance terminology in a way that’s easily digestible for patients receiving care. Dental assistants are also proficient in problem-solving — a skill that’s necessary when managing claim disputes or misinterpreted policies.
Dental Consulting
Dental consultants, also known as practice management consultants, help improve dental practice operations by offering guidance on management styles, patient care standards, and more. As a consultant, you have the option to work for a dental consulting practice or, if you’re more of an entrepreneur, you can start your own consulting firm. Dental practices hire consultants to address a specific ongoing issue or to learn how to improve their general procedures. For example, if a practice is losing revenue by being out-of-network on too many PPOs, a consultant could advise a practice to reanalyze their insurance acceptance rates. Your main goals as a consultant are to drive growth, improve operations, and guide office leadership.
This line of work can involve local or regional travel to various dental practices. People who enjoy being on-the-go and meeting new people are successful in consulting roles because of their ability to communicate with a lot of different people. Consulting requires staying current with industry-wide news, making it a good fit for those who enjoy continuously learning.
Consulting offers a lot of variety because you can specialize in areas such as office management or infection control. Consultants can become certified in dental infection prevention and control through DANB to prepare them with the knowledge needed for this specialty.
Dental assistants offer a unique perspective in this role because they previously worked in a dental practice and understand what staff members and patients need. Dental assistants excel at promoting team synergy, which can help them advise practices on how best to support their staff. They can also leverage their clinical backgrounds to support office leadership in areas such as best patient care practices and improved sterilization processes, which helps practices advance to new levels.