# Male dental assistants--Job opportunity? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 11, 2005, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-dental-assistants-job-opportunity/311989 "2005-07-11T13:48:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-dental-assistants-job-opportunity/311989/1 "2005-07-11T13:48:14Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-dental-assistants-job-opportunity/311989/2 "2005-07-11T13:54:09Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-dental-assistants-job-opportunity/311989/3 "2005-07-11T14:00:38Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![missbunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/76d3ee/32.png) [@missbunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missbunny)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-dental-assistants-job-opportunity/311989/4 "2005-07-11T14:10:33Z")
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? ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-dental-assistants-job-opportunity/311989/5 "2005-07-11T14:11:38Z")
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.) ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-dental-assistants-job-opportunity/311989/6 "2005-07-11T16:00:32Z")
[hijack] You’re 42?! I never would have pegged you for being 42. [/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-dental-assistants-job-opportunity/311989/7 "2005-07-11T17:10:19Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > [hijack] > > You’re 42?! I never would have pegged you for being 42. > > [/hijack] I hesitate to ask… ---
**Author:** ![vertizontal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ad7895/32.png) [@vertizontal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vertizontal)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-dental-assistants-job-opportunity/311989/8 "2005-07-11T20:19:55Z")
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](http://www.ada.org/public/education/careers/mentoring.asp), which discusses various careers in dentistry. For dental assistants it says: > [@](#): > > o The demand for dental assistants currently is excellent > o Flexible work schedules are often available > o Dental assisting offers excellent career opportunities for nontraditional students (including individuals who are over 23 years of age, those seeking a career change or reentry and individuals from culturally diverse backgrounds) ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-dental-assistants-job-opportunity/311989/9 "2005-07-11T20:27:49Z")
Are you cute? If I’m gonna have to stare at you for an hour, you gotta be cute! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![DeVena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dec6dc/32.png) [@DeVena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeVena)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2005, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-dental-assistants-job-opportunity/311989/10 "2005-07-11T20:50:51Z")
> [@ouryL](#): > > 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… 😃