As we’ve touched on in a previous blog, a career in dentistry can provide you with benefits like financial stability, growth opportunities, and personal fulfillment. Whether it’s the clinical or the business side, each position makes a beneficial impact on the patient’s overall experience at the dentist. Knowing which position is right for you can be a difficult choice, so we’ve laid out a few positions and their responsibilities to help make the choice a little easier.
Dentist
A dentist is a healthcare provider who diagnoses and treats oral health conditions. Dentists help keep patients teeth and gums healthy with a variety of oral health treatments, including:
- Dental fillings.
- Crowns.
- Bridges.
A dentist can choose to practice general dentistry or specialize in a specific area, from pediatrics and orthodontics to oral surgery and prosthodontics. MDP dentists enjoy a number of benefits, including free clinical education opportunities, financial planning assistance, and more.
Hygienist
Dental hygienists work in collaboration with dentists to prevent and treat gum disease. They also educate patients on ways to maintain oral health. Dental hygienists will perform procedures like:
- Teeth cleanings.
- Taking X-rays.
- Taking gum measurements.
Depending on the practice, they will utilize either traditional or assisted hygiene models. In a traditional model, a single hygienist manages all aspects of hygiene care. A fully assisted model, on the other hand, is one where a hygienist has a dedicated assistant that supports them with certain responsibilities to deliver more patient care.
When working as a hygienist with MDP, you’ll have the resources you need to be successful, including personalized mentoring and continuing education opportunities.
Clinical Assistant
Clinical assistants include both hygiene assistants and dental assistants. Hygiene assistants are there to support the hygienist through a fully assisted model. Their responsibilities include:
- Preparing rooms for treatment.
- Developing X-ray films.
- Updating patient charts.
A dental assistant is there to support the dentist. Their responsibilities include:
- Preparing and sterilizing the room and instruments for treatment.
- Assisting the dentist with procedures.
- Giving patients post-treatment care instructions.
Practice Support
Practice support roles include those that help to keep the practice organized and running efficiently. When it comes to practice support at MDP, there are two positions: practice managers and those who work behind the front desk. At MDP, we call these team members business associates.
Practice managers oversee the day-to-day operations of the practice to ensure that everything runs smoothly. This can include tasks such as:
- Scheduling.
- Monitoring office production.
- Ordering supplies.
- Training.
Business associates help to provide a warm, welcoming environment for patients from the moment they walk through the door. Responsibilities for this position can include:
- Scheduling appointments.
- Updating patient paperwork.
- Handling treatment payments.
National Support
Dental support organizations like MDP include a dedicated support team to handle the day-to-day administrative needs of the practice. From insurance claims and payroll to marketing and education, these roles take the administrative burden off practice teams so they can focus on doing what they love — caring for patients! At MDP, we have experts in a number of areas, including:
- Human Resources.
- Marketing.
- Patient Services.
- Accounting and Payroll.
- And many more.
If the clinical side of the dental industry doesn’t pique your interest, the business side is a great choice to still experience all of the benefits a career in the dental field can give you, while helping to positively impact patients’ experiences at the dentist.
Interested in starting your career with us in the dental industry? Click here to learn more about our open positions.
