You might know that you would like to have a career in the dental industry, and you might be looking at dental assisting and dental hygiene programs. Either type of program can help you achieve your goal of working in a dental office, but you might be struggling to make the decision between the two. These are a few signs that you might want to take dental assisting classes instead of working toward becoming a dental hygienist.

You Want to Finish Your Schooling More Quickly

Taking classes is a good way to prepare for your next career. If you decide to become a dental hygienist, then you may be required to complete a two-year degree program. If you take dental assisting classes, however, you will probably find that you can complete your courses a lot more quickly. If you'd like to be able to finish school fast and start working in a dental office right away, then dental assisting might be the best route to take.

You Don't Mind Having Some Administrative Duties

One major difference between working as a dental assistant and working as a dental hygienist is the fact the dental hygienists typically do not do much administrative work, while dental assistants usually do. As a dental assistant, you might help with things like scheduling appointments and handling billing and insurance matters. If you enjoy doing office work and don't mind spending part of your day behind a desk, then dental assisting might be right for you.

You'd Prefer Not to Be as Heavily Involved With Oral Care

If you go to school to become a dental hygienist, then you will learn about cleaning patients' teeth and performing other oral care tasks. Some people like this aspect of the dental industry, while others would prefer not to be as heavily involved with oral care.

As a dental assistant, you might help with some matters related to patients' oral health. For example, you might help with taking X-rays. However, typically, dental assistants don't clean teeth or participate as actively in the oral care side of things when working with patients. If this is what you would prefer, then becoming a dental assistant might be right for you.

There are a few different programs that you can look into if you are interested in working in a dental office. Of course, you may at least want to consider checking out a dental hygienist program. If the things above are true for you, however, you might find that a dental assisting program is going to be the better choice. For more information about dental assisting programs, contact a local institute or school.