u/2015DentalAssistant

And yes - depending on the state, legal scope, credentials, experience, and procedures being performed, highly skilled expanded-function assistants can justify earning 2–3× an entry-level dental assistant wage.

Why?

Because you’re no longer comparing the same level of responsibility.

An entry-level dental assistant may primarily support the dentist chairside.

An expanded-function assistant is legally authorized and trained to perform advanced clinical procedures that would otherwise require significantly more of the dentist’s time.

Depending on the state and credential, that can include duties such as:

🦷 Placing and finishing restorations
🦷 Coronal polishing
🦷 Sealants
🦷 Temporary restorations
🦷 Fabricating and adjusting provisional restorations
🦷 Scaling adult teeth
🦷 Administering local anesthesia
🦷 Placing and removing sutures
🦷 Placing and removing orthodontic materials
🦷 Other expanded functions specifically authorized by state law

And here’s the part nobody wants to talk about:

Those skills can directly increase a practice’s capacity.

When an expanded-function assistant can legally complete portions of treatment while the dentist moves to another patient, the practice can potentially treat patients more efficiently and make better use of the dentist’s clinical time.

That’s not “just assisting.”

That’s a higher-skilled clinical role carrying greater training, responsibility and value.

We already understand this concept everywhere else.

More education → more qualifications.
More qualifications → greater scope.
Greater scope → greater responsibility.
Greater responsibility → greater compensation.

So why do we suddenly pretend that logic doesn’t apply to dental assistants?

If an entry-level assistant in a market earns $20–$25/hour, I don’t think it’s outrageous to have a conversation about whether an experienced expanded-function assistant performing advanced restorative duties could be worth $40, $50, or even $60+ an hour where their scope, experience and economic contribution support it.

That doesn’t mean every EFDA/EDDA/RDAEF automatically deserves exactly triple another assistant’s wage.

It means we need to stop pretending a $1–$3 raise adequately compensates someone for substantially expanding their education, scope and clinical responsibility.

If you want assistants to pursue advanced education…

If you want assistants to take on greater responsibility…

If you want assistants to build careers instead of leaving the profession…

THERE HAS TO BE A FINANCIAL REASON TO ADVANCE.

Expanded functions should mean expanded opportunity.

Expanded responsibility should mean expanded compensation.

And an advanced credential should be more than another set of letters behind someone’s name.

PAY SHOULD REFLECT SCOPE. AND ASSISTANTS ARE TIRED OF THE MISTREATMENT.

EFDA / EDDA / RDAEF assistants: drop your state + credential + hourly rate below.

Let’s see whether expanded functions are actually being compensated like expanded functions.

#DA #RDAI #RDAII #RDAEF #EDDA #EFDA #OPA #RDA #CDA #DentalAssistant #DentalWorkforceReform #DentalAssistantPetition #Dentistry #Dental #DentalAssistantPay