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Become a Dental Assistant in Oregon - OR
By an allied health world contributing writer
Published: January 25th, 2010
While dental assistants did not make the top five in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) report, there were more than 4,400 of them in Oregon in 2008 earning an annual mean wage of just under $36,750.
Although the BLS predicts long-term growth for dental assistants, in the current economic downturn, many people may be putting off dental check-ups, which might account for some offices reporting a slowdown in the short term. This would naturally slow down employment and wages for these professionals. Still, the outlook is good for this field: as the average American gets older, proper dental care will become more important and positions in hygiene and dental assistance will remain in demand.