Dental Assistant Training: Time For A Career Change?

For this article, the subject will be dental assistant training. Most dentists today choose to employ assistants to help them with their day to day tasks. Whether their help be assisting in clinical procedures, everyday laboratory work, educating patients on post-care, or managing clerical duties; dental assistants are responsible for completing these tasks each day.

Dental hygienist and dentist differ from dental assistants in that they are licensed to perform certain treatments and procedures that these assistants aren't allowed to perform. Often referred as dental nurses, these assistants are still very valuable despite not being licensed. Before becoming an assistant, one must prepare for the Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) exam by first completing dental assistant training. The four hour exam is a necessity for all seeking this profession. Several different methods of training programs are available.

The first path is to attend a community college or university that offers dental assistant training and complete their two year associates degree program. To be eligible for the associates degree program, the student must have a diploma from high school or an equivalent measure. It is preferred, however, most dental practices do not require their assistants to have an associates degree.  Although, having an associates degree would help tremendously for those seeking career advancement later, since most dental hygienist have a two year degree.

Vocational studies schools and technical institutes also offer one year dental courses that offer another method to becoming an assistant. This training program spends more time towards hands-on experience and in turn is usually faster paced. A GED or high school diploma is needed upon entering the one year vocational schools. The vast majority of students who enter this program finish as dental assistants.

Although rare, in some states individuals are able to work under a dentist's supervision and get on-the-job training in preparation for the CDA exam. This is possible because many states are able to hire individuals who are not certified in the field that they will be training towards certification at a later date (the rules and regulations vary from state to state). If learning through on-the-job training, one must work under the dentist's supervision for two years before being eligible to apply for certification.

In dental assistant training, the course work is divided between clinical studies courses and theory courses.  The theory courses covered will include such classes as dental science and office procedures and fundamentals. The included classes under clinical study courses are taking of x-rays, updating of patient records, and equipment maintenance. One year technical institutes and vocational schools offering dental certificate programs will usually include classes as previously mentioned.

Diploma programs will go further in depth with additional classes and clinical studies. Oral anatomy, human biology, radiology, and other related subjects are many of the classes one can expect from these types of programs. Upon completion, these classes will enable students the ability to work in the fields of orthodontics and periodontics.

The associates degree programs will have further classes in dental assistant training than the diploma programs offer. Various classes that can be expected are impression making, safety and health classes like OSHA,  dental procedures, and many more. These classes are key to helping prepare the students for a future career in dentistry.