Industry Profile -- by Mark Sproxton

For those who don't mind the sound of drills, or thoughts of dealing with other peoples' spit, teeth, and bad breath, the dental industry might be worth checking out. With several very different careers available, chances are something may tweak your interest in becoming a "leader of the plaque."

While competition for spots in post-secondary dental programs remains fierce, those who complete the education are rewarded with work that pays well, and is in demand. With Canada's aging population, and the recognized benefits of proper oral heal care, those looking to move into the industry will have no shortage of patients, although the work may change its focus. Because of the greater knowledge of dental health, work in the industry is shifting more to "oral medicine" and prevention of problems, instead of always correcting problems.

Not so long ago dental offices brought feelings of panic and pain. Now, with many offices introducing VCRs and other distractions to keep your mind off the work at hand, a trip to the dental clinic doesn't necessarily guarantee the sometimes overwhelming sounds of drilling and filling. For some kinds of oral appliances, patients are now sent to labs, avoiding a dental office completely.

Not all the work takes place in a dentist office either, although all the work is done indoors, and mainly from Monday to Friday. More dentist offices are opening Saturdays, and evenings, however, in order to attract more patients. Many in the oral health care industry work in labs, while others work in health clinics and spend much of their time on educating the public about teeth-related topics. Here's a closer look at some of the main careers available in the industry:

Dental assistant-- In Alberta there are three types of assistants, chair side, intra-oral, and office receptionists. Depending where you work, you may do one, or all three types of work. There are three types of certification with the Alberta Dental Assistant Association as well. Assistants can take a course and then look for work, or find work and then take courses to become certified. One and two year programs are available in Alberta. Most assistants work in a dental practice and earn between $27,000 - $42,000 a year, according to provincial government 1996 statistics.

Dental hygienist -- Hygienists earn about $30,000 - $36,000 a year to start, according to provincial government figures. (See this month's Career Mirror for more information.)

Dental lab technician -- A dental lab technician intern will earn about $17,000 - $22,000 a year to start, while a certified technician will earn about $18,000 - $45,000 a year, according to Alberta government information. (See this month's Feature Article #2 for more information.)

Dentist -- Work as a dentist is considered one of the most high-stress jobs available. And while the overwhelming majority of graduates from dentistry school work as general practitioners, with an additional four years, or more, of education, dentists can specialize into areas such as pediatrics and periodontics. Dentists earn anywhere from $70,000 - $100,000 and up each year, depending on the type of work and their setting. (See this month's Feature Article #1 for more information.)

Denturist -- Upon graduation from the two-year program -- NAIT offers the lone denturist program on the Prairies -- denturist interns must work for two years under a licensed denturist. Similar to lab techs, denturists are more on the manufacturing end of the oral health scale, working with full and partial dentures. A denturist intern will earn $14,000 - $17,000 a year, while a licensed denturist will earn about $29,000 - $34,000 a year, statistics from the provincial government show.

To find out more about the dental industry, check out the Canadian Dental Association web site, the Canadian Dental Hygienists Association web site, or call the Alberta Dental Assistant Association at 1-800 355-8940, the Alberta Association of Dental Technicians at 1-800 537-0568, or the Alberta Dental Hygienists Association at 780-465-1756.