Dental Assistant Schools, Salary, and Career Field
Becoming a dental assistant can be a whole new profitable idea that anyone can utilize to create a promising career for themselves. While it may involve some ups and downs mainly resulting from lack of adequate knowledge, it is still doable and this article is set to elaborate on some aspects of the required prior knowledge. A dental assistant’s main job is to assist a dentist or other dental operators in the treatment of a patient. This helps in better, organized, smooth, and efficient treatment. A dental assistant could pass instruments to the dentist, prepare the patients before treatment begins, expose dental radiographs, etc. Dental assistants don’t need to get an education that is equivalent to a dental hygienist.
What Does a Dental Assistant Do?
A dental assistant does a lot of tasks which cannot be listed here from a wide view. However, it has been narrowed down to three main tasks:
1. Office Tasks: Dental assistants record information about patients at the request of the dentist based on information received and noted. Sometimes they perform duties similar to a receptionist’s, schedule appointments, answer calls from patients, confirm appointments already scheduled for each patient, and more. Inventory and bookkeeping tasks are sometimes involved as well.
2. Taking Care of Patients: This is the most obvious. Dental assistants simply make an upcoming treatment possible by preparing the patient for treatment, and setting out all necessary tools that will be used during the treatment. Preparing patients for treatment typically involves applying an anaesthetic to the gums of a patient, directing and settling a patient in the chair (for treatment), etc. Dental assistants are also required to teach patients about oral hygiene and give them instructions on the next post-treatment steps to take.
3. Laboratory Tasks: Laboratory tasks include polishing and cleaning removable dentures and bridges, processing x-rays of gums and mouths of patients on the whole, producing temporary crowns, and so on. In some states in the US, special training requirements must be met if a dentist will be allowed to assist in the laboratory. This is the case in most states.
Dental Assistant Requirements
There are several dental assistant requirements. The major ones are:
1. Having a good attitude to work.
2. Learning about your duties even before you are employed or start working. A dental assistant who knows the details of his job will perform better than one who doesn’t. It doesn’t sound good being told what to do even for the simplest of tasks.
3. Ability to communicate fluently.
4. Listening actively – catching every word – from the dentist and managing time effectively.
5. Knowledge of basic details of oral hygiene and being able to pass it on to patients.
6. Having the right educational qualifications (more about dental assistant classes and training below).
Dental Assistant Training
The level of training required to become a dental assistant varies according to the state where an individual lives. In some states, applying and qualifying for the post only requires a high school diploma. But it should be duly noted that good training is a prerequisite for a higher dental assistant salaries which will also give a dentist an opportunity to perform several other tasks that they would have been otherwise limited to. Specific level of training is also required to perform self-governing duties, especially those related to radiology. It is advisable to enroll in dental assistant schools offering dental assistant programs (training programs). The length of time the training programs last spans from 6 months to two years. Knowledge in certain subjects, usually biology, chemistry, office practice, and health is a prerequisite for enrollment in dental institutes, community colleges, dental assistant schools online, and similar institutes, although this really depends on the college so be sure to ask, we offer some great college resources here!
Dental Assistant Salary
One of the factors that affect a dental assistant’s salary is level of experience. A dental assistant that has been working in this field for several years has an opportunity to earn more than a new employee. Another factor is qualifications – the school attended and training program and whether the he or she is a certified dental assistant or not (more about certification below). The last factor that influences dental assistant salary is the state where they were employed. Salary varies across different states. Due to all these variables, the mean wages will be referred to as a rule of thumb.
* 50% of employed dental assistants earn approximately $33,470 per year.
* Hourly rates for beginners normally start at $10.90 and can increase up to $20 as the dental assistant gains more experience.
* The top 10% earn more then $47,000 every year.
* Mean hourly wage is $16.95 (2009)
* Alaskan dentists earn the highest dental assistant pay – $20.99 (2009)
Dental Assistant Certification
Becoming certified opens up more job and higher earning opportunities. In some states, a dental assistant must be certified before they can be employed. In order to aquire certification, a dental assistant must complete an examination created by the DANB (Dental Assisting National Board). Qualification to take this exam is determined by the following:
* Did the applicant graduate from an officially recognized dental assistant training school/program?
* Does the applicant have at least four years experience (part-time) or two years experience (full-time)?
If one of the criteria above is met, the applicant will be allowed to take the exam after paying the fees ($300 in total). 4 hours is allocated to each candidate to complete the exam which is made up of 320 questions.
How to Become a Dental Assistant
Anyone who wants to become a dental assistant must have thr right qualities, meet all the requirements, get proper training, and become certified.
Expanded Function Dental Assistant
Dental assistants duties will only be performed when they meet a have a certain qualification as already mentioned above. Those who have the qualification are allowed to perform expanded functions. To qualify for this, dental assistants must have an EFDA (Expanded Functions Dental Assisting) Associate Degree and it must be from an officially recognized college or school, after which they must participate in an extended and deeper training. Expanded functions include: making temporary crowns and bridges, all x-ray related dental work, dental equipments maintenance, etc.
Conclusion
Dental assistant jobs are everywhere and the need for dental assistants has been rising continually over the years. It takes some effort to become one but most people who attempt to find success. If you are interested in schools, it’s a good idea to start now. We offer help with course-type schools, and dental assistant programs online.
