Dental Assistant Programs

According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), most dental assistant schools can be finished in under a year. Attending one can reduce or eliminate mistakes that can occur with onsite training. While school is not a requirement, receiving proper training before entering the workforce facilitates job searches in the future. When selecting a program, consider personal needs to find the right school.

Career Overview
Before starting to compare schools, a full understanding of the position is extremely helpful. As a dental assistant, you are expected to support staff and serve as office administrator. Filing papers, ordering supplies and handling various staffing duties are part of the job. Assistant responsibilities differ greatly from hygienists, who work exclusively with patients. Dental assisting remains unregulated to a large extent, so educational requirements vary by location.

Be prepared to stand for long periods of time during the workday. At any given time, you may be expected to: prepare patients for examination, sterilize equipment and make appointments. Some states allow assistants to help with procedures like teeth bleaching or crown placement. All activities are performed under the supervision of a licensed dentist.

Prerequisites
To successfully complete dental assistant school, admissions teams recommend a strong background in high school biology and chemistry. Office skills are equally important. Depending where the school is located, you may have to pass a health occupations exam and obtain liability insurance. Talk with school administrators for specifics on entry requirements.

Curriculum
Dental assisting classes reflect the diverse nature of the job. Sample courses include dental radiology, human relations and dental assisting applications. Some schools provide students with internships during their course of studies to gain hands-on experience before entering the workforce.

Dental Assistant Schools
Dental assistant take on many forms. Check schools against the American Dental Association database to weed out scammers and frauds. The BLS also recommends contacting the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) for information on approved training programs. Avoid receiving a worthless certificate by conducting careful research before you cut the check.

Traditional brick-and-mortar programs are fine for many students, but online schools are perfect for non-traditional schedules. Programs vary, but most offer streaming video seminars and group chats that are available to students any time of day or night. A number of well-known schools offer Internet courses in an effort to connect with a larger student population.

No matter what school you attend, expect to pay enrollment and textbook fees. Take care of those texts- they will prove invaluable as a point of reference in the future.

After Graduation
As of May 2010, the United States Department of Labor indicated the average dental assistant salary was $34,140 per year. The average hourly rate was $16.41 during the same period. Expect pay to fluctuate based on the cost of living for a particular area. Most dental assistants work in dental offices, but keep in mind that some government agencies and medical offices require dental assistants. As of October 2011, assistants are still in high demand and indicators predict that employment opportunities will continue to be plentiful.

You may be required to take a state certification exam before working as a dental assistant. Communicate with school administrators and talk with the local health department to ensure everything is in order before sending out any resumes.

For more information about dental assistant schools and education, feel free to browse through the pages on this website.