Dental Assistant Programs

If you are interested in becoming a dental assistant, it helps to have a look into the types of duties that will be expected of you, once your training and you have received your dental assistant certification. This is a profession that is sometimes confused with that of a dental hygienist, but they are not the same thing. Becoming a dental assistant means that you will spend your workdays carrying out many different types of patient care, as opposed to the hygienist whose duties focus on dental hygiene alone. This profession also entails doing office work and performing lab duties.

The dentist that you assist will rely heavily upon you to perform your duties. It means that you must pay close attention to what you are doing at all times. That said, the vocation is interesting and satisfying, and serves as the means for a good, steady income. Among the duties you will learn to perform include are learning to prepare the materials and instruments that are required for patients’ treatments. You will try to make them feel relaxed and comfortable during their time in the dentist’s office.

During the treatments themselves, you, as dental assistant, will work side-by-side with the dentist, handing him or her instruments and keeping the patients’ mouths clear and dry with a suction hose or other instrument that is made for this purpose. Once the treatment has been completed, the dentist will rely on you to inform his or her patients about hope to maintain their general oral healthcare or postoperative care.

In the laboratory, your duties will include making casts of patients’ mouth and teeth from the impressions that either you or the dentist will take with special molding materials. You will thoroughly clean and polish all of the dentist’s removable appliances and you will make temporary crowns.

When you work in the office part of the dental office, you will most likely schedule appointments, keep patients’ treatment records, participate in billing and receiving, receive patients when they come into the office and order dental and office supplies and other materials.

If you are a high school student who consider getting your dental assistant certification, it is advisable to take courses in chemistry, biology, office practices and health. In the year 2009, the CODA (Commission on Dental Accreditation) approved a total of 281 different dental assistance training programs across the United States. These are intensive programs that require you to have a high school diploma or equivalent, and, at least some computer related and science courses in order to be admitted. Some private vocational schools have programs that offer four to six month courses in dental assistance, but these programs are not accredited by the CODA.

In some cases, it is possible for you to get on the job training. However, this is can also true of people who have already gone through formal training, since each dentist tends to have his or her own way of doing things. If you are going to work in a specific office, you need to know where things are kept and how to proceed according to the dentist’s wishes. Dentists like to make sure that you are reliable, that you have the manual dexterity that it takes to assist properly, and that you work well with other people. These qualities can make or break a dental practice.

It is recommended that you contact the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) for information on approved training programs and colleges where you can get your certification.

Depending upon which state you live in, your duties as a dental assistant will, most likely, be regulated. In some states you may be required to have your dental assistant certification to perform greater functions or to work in radiology. Getting your license may include going through an accredited dental assistance program and passing a written exam. In some states, you will have to periodically take courses or go to seminars to maintain your certification or license. Unless you do this, it is not likely that you will advance very far in your career.