Provide Comfort and Care with a Dental Assistant Program

Dental assisting as a career

This kind of career choice is rapidly growing in the medical field and there are some really excellent employment opportunities. The people who choose to work in this field will work 30 up to 40 hours per week. They are known to be important and valuable assistants to the dentist. They will be expected to help the dentist with administrative duties and handle examining and also treatments for patients.

One thing about this kind of assistant is that it is a two-fold job. Meaning that at one time the assistant will handle many administrative duties, like the scheduling of appointments, the paying of bills, maintaining and organizing a patient’s records. The assistant will also be involved with instructing patients with oral hygiene and how to care for their teeth and gums. They will sterilize and provide care for all of the equipment, prepare x-rays, apply some anesthetics and also prepare impressions. The average salary rate being quite high makes this field very enticing to get involved with.

What is involved in studying a dental assistant program?

If this sounds like something that you find interesting and you want to become part of this medical field, then you will need to complete your high school diploma and then follow through with a diploma or degree that is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) for the US.

A dental assistant program will usually involve attending lectures and also some rigorous hands on training within this type of field. This program can take eleven months to complete. The key areas that will be taught from these programs include: daily office procedures and billing details, business and communications skills, terminology, oral histology, anatomy and physiology, handling equipment, patient care, first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, radiography, dental health and nutrition, infection control, orthodontics, health care laws and regulations (OSHA and HIPPA).