People are stopping to take a long look at career choices these days because of the current recession. Most are looking for a career that is relatively recession proof so that they do not have to fear being laid off or downsized out of a job. One such career choice is becoming a dental assistant. While no education beyond a high school diploma is required to become a dental assistant, one can improve the chances of getting a job in this field by attending some formal dental assistant training.
It is possible to obtain all the training one needs to become a dental assistant in the form of on the job training. This is because the duties of dental assistants are so varied that one dentist may need an assistant to handle certain functions but not others. There are, however, some aspects of the job that may require special training or certification from the state in which the dentist practices.
One such duty is taking x-rays and developing the films. Some states require that all technicians who operate x-ray machines be specially trained because of the radiation emitted by the machines. Other states do not require any special certification to take x-rays, but one must be specially trained in order to read them.
Other dental assistants focus more on day to day operations of the office and management duties. These assistants do not require any special training associated with dentistry, but may find it useful to take some courses in management or in working with the software that the dentist uses for booking appointments or for billing insurance.
Still others are actually in the room with the dentist when he performs procedures on his patients. These dental assistants are responsible for maintaining the sterility of the work area and for handing the dentist instruments as he needs and for keeping the mouth clean and dry while he is working. This class of dental assistants needs to have at least a fundamental knowledge of what the various instruments are and what they are used for in the practice.
Unlike dental hygienists, who have their own special training programs and certifications that must be passed in order to practice, even under the supervision of a dentist, dental assistants are expected to fulfill such a wide range of functions within the practice that there is no single set of qualifications for them to train for, this is why proper dental assistant training is so important.
There are, however, schools that offer dental assistant training courses that touch on all of the skill sets that dentists may be looking for when hiring an assistant. Most of these classes are of a vocational technical nature, meaning that they are not focused on acquiring a degree, but are more hands on oriented. The goal is to educate the person to a level that makes him/her a good fit in any of the normal areas of responsibility that dentists tend to need assistants to help them with in their practices.
While dental assistants may not make as much per year as someone with a full college degree, the odds are that they will not have to worry about losing their job during an economic slump because people always need dental care. Dental assistants do earn a respectable salary compared to most positions available without a degree, it has been said that the average dental assistant pay in the United States is around 13 dollars an hour, this can greatly change though depending on experience and training.
Taking a program of dental assistant training prior to looking for work in a dental practice improves both the odds of getting hired and the amount of money that one can request as a starting salary with a reasonable expectation of receiving it. Due to the hands on nature of most dental assistant training programs, most practicing dentists will view this as much job experience as education.
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