Dental Assistant

Start Your Dental Assistant Career

Guide to becoming a dental assistant. Still on the lookout for opportunities that are rewarding and stable? How about an allied health career, like working in a dentist's office? If it's something you may want to explore, then here are some tips on how to become a dental assistant.

Dental Assistant Duties

If you've ever paid attention while at a dental clinic, you probably noticed the person who welcomed you, and perhaps made the appointment for you. That's among the most basic of administrative tasks. This will also include answering phones and filing patient records.

Another of the more common functions is clerical - handling patient records, helping them fill out insurance forms or with prescriptions and following up after they undergo procedures.

Patient contact also involves preparing them for their meeting with a dentist or a dental hygienist, if all they require are minor procedures or preventive oral health care. Smaller offices may require dental assisting to take on book-keeping or record keeping tasks.

There are some employers who prefer workers trained to do more actual dental assisting functions. This means helping out dentists during procedures and being responsible for laboratory tests, including x-rays, if you are qualified. This usually requires a dental assistant degree and a certification.

Still, if you consider the job description it's not such a bad deal especially because you have fixed working hours and will probably be provided employee benefits. And just so you have an idea, the dental assistant salary is between $23,513 on the lower end up to $34,861. The possibility of earning more increases with other factors, including the state where you are working. California pays up to $52,000 annually for its dental assistants.

Prepping for the job

So, now you're ready to tackle how to become a dental assistant. If you have yet to finally make up your mind about this occupation, then you can do one of two things: talk to a dental assistant about her experience to get a better idea of what it's like; or volunteer to work at a dental clinic to have a feel for the job.  

If you're really bent on pursuing this line of allied health service, you may go a step further and do part-time work while studying so you are actually learning as you take up the didactic portion of the training. By doing this, you may credit the hours of clinical experience to qualify you for a license or certification.

Is it possible to land a job without attending a dental assisting school? Perhaps if you are a quick study and committed to on-the-job training. But these days, it always pays to have some form of education or training to give you an advantage over the competition.

In truth, how to become a dental assistant won't take you beyond 12 months, if you just want to learn the basics of the job and earn a diploma or certificate. However, longer training will mean better chances at bigger opportunities and pay.

Dental Assistant Requirements

Following are the requirements if you want to enroll in a dental assistant school:

1. A high school diploma or its GED equivalent.
2. Completion of general education courses such as anatomy and physiology, computer basics, math fundamentals and CPR and First Aid.
3. Good communication and people skills that can be enhanced through internship or volunteer work.
4. Check if dental assistants in your state require certification, licensure or registration so you can meet specific requirements, too.

Remember to look for an accredited dental assistant school to ensure you get the standard quality training required on the job. This is especially vital if you will train for expanded functions dental assisting, where you will learn about x-rays and other laboratory tests performed in dental clinics.

Becoming a dental assistant isn't complicated since you can actually learn the skills on the job. It's your commitment to carry through with the job once you're in it that will make a difference between success and failure. Who knows, you may use this as a springboard to upgrade your skills and become a dental hygienist or even a dentist to earn more.

But you must start somewhere and how to become a dental assistant is the simplest route to take.

Dental Assistant Degree >