I have a chance to apply for a dental assistant’s position with the State of Tennessee.
No training or experience required.
Health/Mental Health/Corrections positions, likely.
They will train me!
No wage hike.
Is this a good plan for a 42 year old male?
Will I be able to find work outside government?
Facts & opinions welcome.
Qadgop the Mercotan? your views in particular are welcome.
Our dental hygenist/assistant ( who works for Mr. Ujest’s cousin who is our dentist. Great guy, but we love her.) Makes around $25 an hour and gets good bennies.
I think it is a great kinda job: it allows you to help people; you get to do all the talking while they cannot respond; loads of money if you know what you are doing.
Good luck.
My sister’s a dental hygienist. It helps to be obsessed with teeth and not worry about having a somewhat repetitive job.
If you get decent training, you can pretty much guarantee you’ll always have a job. Every dentist I’ve ever talked to has pretty much been constantly looking for good help.
It might be a good opportunity, but I don’t think “dental hygienist” is the same as “dental assistant.” I believe hygienists have to go to school (I think it’s a 2-year course) and have to be licensed, don’t they?
I’m sure it’s a great job, but one thing that I always noticed…I have never, in my life, ever seen a male dental assistant. In fact, not only that, but all the ones I have had have also been young (below 30) and attractive.
Of course, I also have only been to one dental practice my entire life, so it’s entirely possible that the guy in charge was just a huge sexist who got his rocks off watching 25 year old girls scraping teeth.
(Though I must admit, during my early years of puberty when I went for an appointment, I didn’t mind the fact that the assistants breasts would often brush up along my arm.)
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You’re 42?! I never would have pegged you for being 42.
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I hesitate to ask…
The fact that they say “No experience or experience required” means that it truely is an assistant job, not a hygenist position. Being a hygenist requires skills, training, and a license, whereas anyone can walk in off the street and be hired to be a dental assistant. Working as a hygenist obviously will pay much better than a job as an assistant.
You should take a look at the web site for the American Dental Association, which discusses various careers in dentistry.
For dental assistants it says:
Are you cute? If I’m gonna have to stare at you for an hour, you gotta be cute! 
All I ask is that you trim your nose hairs… 