Dental Assistant Training: Jumpstart Your Career!
Introduction: A dental assistant training program is the perfect curriculum that offers a certification to those who would want to be a dental assistant. As the dental services industry continues to expand, dental assistants are also constantly in demand as people of all ages are in constant need of dental services. In line with this, a dental assistant job really offers a stable career path with a decent salary for aspiring individuals.
How can I get a dental assistant certification?
A dental assistant certification can be acquired from the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB). Yet prior to this, an aspiring dental assistant would need to accomplish a dental assistant training program first and pass the written examination prepared and administered by the DANB.
The exam generally lasts for about 4 hours. There are 320 prepared questions, divided into three primary sections, namely: 1) General chairside test, 120 questions; 2) Radiation health and safety, 100 questions; 3) Infection control test, 100 questions.
Examinees should score at least 400, from a scale of 100 to 900, for him/her to be able to pass the exam and become a certified dental assistant. This exam measures the knowledge and competency of the examinee, and therefore passing it means that he/she is competent enough to practice as a dental assistant.
For those aspiring dental assistants who went to an unaccredited dental assistant training program, they would need to have a two-year work experience first before they would be allowed to take the DANB examination.
Gaining a dental assistant certification is important, as this will ensure employers and the public that one’s dental assistant services is safe and is of utmost quality. However, some state regulations may have different decrees regarding dental assistant certifications.
Almost 30 states do require a certification. However, for other states that do not need this requirement, a voluntary certification is issued by the DNAB. There are three kinds of certification issued by the DNAB and a dental assistant certification is one of those. The other two certifications issued are Certified Orthodontic Assistant (COA) and Certified Dental Practice Management Administrator (CDPMA) Certifications.
Certified dental assistants really do have an edge over those who are not in terms of salary, benefits, and work opportunities.
How Can I Find a Dental Assistant School?
Every institution forms the essential foreground of knowledge and training of its students. That is why; enrolling in a high-standard and respectable dental assistant school is necessary to ensure that one’s education is sufficient to provide for the demands of the job.
Most dental offices and facilities usually require an associate’s degree from its dental assistants before they are accepted into the job. Others, however, require a bachelor’s degree. A master’s degree is not really required, but there are some high-end facilities that may look for dental assistants with this title.
There is a wide array of accredited dental assistant schools (colleges, vocational, technical institutes) that offer associate, bachelor, and master’s degrees to interested individuals. In fact, there are currently 260 dental assistant training schools accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation or CODA.
Usually, these institutions may charge from $2,000 to $6, 500. Most of the dental assistant training fee’s percentage goes to laboratory expenses, which is why the full course is expensive. The length of the course may vary from one school to another. Other schools may offer a curriculum of about 6 months. Some may offer a curriculum of up to 1 year.
One can find a dental assistant school near his or her area through looking into newspapers and yellow pages, or asking directly from institutions if they are offering the course. However, the best place for one to find and compare dental assistant schools is through the Internet.
Follow this link to view dental assistant schools – VIEW SCHOOL
Is it possible to have a dental assistant training online?
Yes, it is definitely possible to have a dental assistant training online. There are many schools and even online modules, which offer online education to interested parties. Although most dental assistant skills are learned on the area, there are a good number of dentists who actually seek potential dental assistants with formal education on their resume.
An ideal dental assistant training online curriculum provides an overview of the following subjects:
- Dental profession
- Dental health
- Dental diseases
- Anatomy and physiology
- Basic dental assisting
- Radiology
- Dental Assisting in a specialty practice
- Dental materials
- Dental office management
All of these subjects upon completion shall entitle one to get the dental assistant exam for a certification. Online programs provide enough information for its enrollees, which are relevant to the dental assisting field. It is also beneficial as one can learn in the comforts of his/her home, provided that a computer and Internet service is available.
There are other dental assistant training online curriculums that can be downloaded as a module, wherein a student can have access to it anytime and anywhere. Dental assistants that have earned a respectable experience in the said profession are usually the ones who make these modules.
Follow this link to view online dental assistant schools – VIEW SCHOOL
What is the dental assistant job description?
Dental assistant jobs may take several forms, and it can be easily classified into three distinct categories: 1) patient care; 2) laboratory; and 3) clerical or office duties.
In terms of patient care, this dental assistant job description pertains to welcoming the patients into the clinic or facility with a warm greeting, asking the patient about his/her dental concerns and seeing to it that the patient is comfortable throughout his/her stay on the facility. Part of their job too is to give patients a health teaching about oral health.
In terms of laboratory duties, a dental assistant sterilizes and prepares on the tray the instruments that the dentist will use. The dental assistant also needs to assist the surgeon in doing the dental procedures by handling over the needed instruments, and suctioning the patient’s mouth. Dental assistants must also see to it that the dental devices and equipments of the clinic are working properly. They may also get dental x-rays and process it at the dentist’s command.
Another set of duties that dental assistants need to perform is clerical, and those are: scheduling and confirming appointments, keeping the treatment records, receiving the patients upon entry, receiving payment, and ordering dental supplies and materials. All of these three dental assistant job description tasks are taught as part of a dental assistant training program.
What is the average dental assistant salary?
Dental assistants actually have a reputable sum of salary. The mean average annual dental assistant salary in the US is $32,380. This data is from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of May 2008. This figure has surely gone up over the years. Salary rates vary from location, facility, and expertise of the dental hygienist. The lowest salary is around $22,270 and the highest salary may reach up to $46,150.
Indeed, a dental assistant training program is one of the surest ways for interested individuals to gain a career in the field of dental health care as dental assistants. In fact, most statistics say that this profession is gradually gaining popularity over the years.