Furthering Your Dental Assisting Education
INTRODUCTION
With today’s economy, college students need to be completely informed with the chosen career path they are heading into. Choosing a career path with little to no chance of success would be a total waste of money, effort, and time. The problem with dental assisting is there is not as many vast opportunities to succeed in this career as there are for an individual who is interested in becoming a dental hygienist.
CAREER ANALYSIS OF DENTAL ASSISTANTS America’s Career InfoNet states the definition of a dental assistant is to assist the dentist, set up the equipment, prepare patient for treatment, and keep precise records. Dental assistants work alongside the dentist to provide assistance during dental procedures. They sterilize and disinfect instruments to prepare materials required to treat each patient. Assistants also create a warm, welcoming environment for the patients before, during, and after treatment (United States, “Dental Assistants”). Additionally, there is a list of different practice settings available for assistants; group practices, solo practices, and orthodontic settings are available to name a few (“Dental Assistants”). In most states, dental assistants can learn their skills on the job; however, in order for assistants to perform more advanced functions, many states require assistants to obtain at least a certificate or even a license. Two year programs lead to an associate’s degree. These programs are offered at community or junior colleges. However, in order to get a dental assistant certificate, “Most dental assisting programs take nine to eleven months to complete,” stated Nicole Ortiz, a certified dental assistant here in Canon City (Ortiz). There are some private schools that offer a four month program, but these schools are not CDA-accredited. In addition, each state differs with the