How to Become a Dental Assistant: The Complete Guide

How to Become a Dental Assistant: The Complete Guide
Cian
Last updated at September 30, 2021

Being a dental assistant can be rewarding. There is nothing more fulfilling than rendering a valuable service on behalf of others. And to add to people’s comfort and joy by helping to care for their teeth as well as their overall dental hygiene is indeed a joy in itself. For more on how to become a dental assistant, read on.

What is a Dental Assistant? What does their job consist of, and above all, what are the benefits they can reap from this noble profession?

What Does a Dental Assistant Do?

Dental assistants are responsible for the clerical and laboratory duties in a dentist’s office. The duties of a DA can vary from state to state.

Dental assistants may, for example, help with adding sealants or fluoride to a patient’s teeth, they may also help with rinsing the patient’s mouth after a dental procedure has been performed. They may also help with removing plaque as well as taking a patient’s x-rays. They usually assist with these procedures in addition to doing the paperwork pertaining to the individual patient.

How Much Does a Dental Assistant Make?

According to Salary.com, the average Dental Assistant salary in the United States is $39,853 as of July 28, 2021, but the range typically falls between $35,342 and $44,219.

How Long Does it Take to Become a Dental Assistant?

It takes about 4-6 months to become a dental assistant.

How to Become a Dental Assistant

A person interested in learning more about the above profession must get some qualified training first. This means you will have to attend a school that offers a dental assistant program as part of its curriculum.

Usually, the best place to do that is by going to a vocation school that specifically highlights the duties of the above medical professionals, and the specific courses they will need to take in order to achieve their goal of being a DA.

Dental assistants have the option of being either taught offline or as some do, because of their busy schedules, online.

There are many such schools available to choose from, once the choice is made, the prospective DA will study the required courses, and if they successfully pass, they will either earn a Dental certification degree or a Dental degree, depending on the level of their proven skills or merits.

The time one wishes to achieve such degrees can depend on the extent that the student is willing to study and the length of time, which can be from 1 1/2 years or longer.

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What Are The Job Prospects for a Dental Assistant?

The job prospects of a dental assistant are excellent; they are usually in high demand by the dental profession. They are indeed an invaluable aid to dentists as they perform their work.

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