Career satisfaction has never been more top of mind than it is today. More people are leaving their jobs in customer service, retail, sales, and more to find careers that make them feel fulfilled. If you’re ready to have a career you love, we know a path that we bet you’ve never considered. Dentistry!

Dental offices are made up of more than just dentists. It takes a team to make the dental office experience a truly great one for patients. Here are five careers in dentistry that may be just what you are looking for:

Hygienist

If you are someone that loves to learn and can help others absorb the knowledge that you are serving out in a meaningful way, then you may be a perfect hygienist. As a hygienist, you will be the person doing cleanings and providing guidance as well as sharing preventative care to patients for the healthiest mouth possible!

Becoming a hygienist does involve going back to school to earn your associate's degree in dental hygiene. These programs are about 2-3 years long. As a provider, it is important that you know your stuff! Your dental hygiene program prepares you not only for the real-life experience but also for your board exam to earn your Hygiene License.

Denture Lab Technician

If you are someone that likes to work with your hands and has great attention to detail, maybe you have even dabbled in fine arts in your life, then you may just be a great denture lab technician. Denture lab technicians work in partnership with dentists to create the perfect dentures and implants possible. These technicians are an instrumental part of giving patients their smiles back so that patients can feel as confident as ever!

To become a denture lab technician, you will need a high school degree/GED and a great attitude! If you decided to start your career with Aspen Dental, then you will have access to a year long training program to get you up to speed. Analog skills are essential so the training will always start there but Aspen Dental will be going digital, which means you will also be trained using state-of-the-art technology. Being trained in both mediums allows the production of dentures and implants to happen more quickly, which means our patients get their smiles back even sooner!

Dental Assistant

This role is perfect for someone still considering whether dentistry is the right path for them because it allows you to get your feet wet. Dental assistants do just that, assist. As a dental assistant, you will be providing support to both the dentists and the hygienists in the office, guaranteeing that you will be exposed to many distinct aspects of working in a dental office. From taking x-rays to keeping patient records.

Becoming a dental assistant varies state by state but not to fret, we've got you covered. Check out the requirements in your state here. Aspen Dental has partnered with the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB) to ensure the dental assistants who we support get the best training to be as prepared as possible for their certification exam.

Patient Support Representative

Customer service has been preparing you for this role. As a patient service representative, you are the first and oftentimes the last person that patients get to interact with. You help to set the tone of the patient’s experience. You get patients checked in, schedule their next visit, verify insurance, and help to get their questions answered.

While this path does not require certification, you are encouraged to learn as much as possible to continuously put yourself in a position to grow. At Aspen Dental we encourage the patient service representatives who we support to be cross-trained, so that they can have a better understanding of all aspects of how the office is run. This will allow them to grow in many directions if they choose.

Office Management

Communicative, team-oriented, and adaptable. These personality traits are a few of the many that successful managers may have. As an office manager, you help to keep everything running smoothly in an office for both the staff and the patients.

To become an office manager there are two paths you can take. The first is the traditional way, which involves a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, the second is working your way into this role by becoming an industry expert. Aspen Dental provides an extensive ten-week training program to all office managers, during which participants gain business and leadership knowledge to be successful at the organization.

Dentistry is a rewarding career path not only because of the impact that you have on others’ lives but also because of all that it can offer for your career. These roles put people in a good position to gain essential knowledge of the dental field and continue to grow. At Aspen Dental, these career opportunities do not have to be the last step in your career journey, there are many opportunities for upward mobility within the organization.

If you would like to learn about open positions at Aspen Dental, join the talent community and start to get personalized career notifications for new openings near you.