Dental Assistant – How to Follow This Career Path

If you are interested in working in a dentist's office, since helping people with their oral health is a career with a lot of growth potential, then consider pursuing a career as a dental assistant or hygienist. With just a few years of education, you can launch yourself into a profitable career in a high-demand field. 

If you are fairly young when you realize this would be a good career path for you, then you can take the right classes in high school. A focus on math, health, and science courses will help you as you enter your higher education classes. If you are already done with high school, consider attending a junior college to get a strong foundation in these subjects.

Once you have your high school education, look for an assistant program at the college level. It is best if you can find one that is approved by the American Dental Association or some other accreditation group. This will ensure that you get the required education and that your credentials look great on your diploma once you are through.

Accredited programs will include internships at dentists' offices in the school's area or at low-cost clinics or schools. This on-the-field training is vital to your success, and it can also give you the chance to make some contacts for your future job search. Once you have your certificate or diploma of completion, you are ready to start looking for work.

The great thing about this process is that it does not have to take a long time. You can earn an associate's degree in the dental assistant field in just two years, or you can attend a vocational school and get a certificate in about four to six months, provided that you have the appropriate high school classes under your belt. Keep in mind that many certificate programs are not accredited.

The dentists that hire dental assistants who are just out of school expect to teach them some more skills through on-the-job training, so having little experience is not necessarily a drawback in this field, provided you are not job searching in an area that has a lot of competition. 

Once you are working on the job, you can begin the process of getting your licenses in your state. You may need to take additional courses, fulfill a certain amount of experience, or pass a test, depending on your state's laws. Approximately 30 states also require certification for assistance from the national board in the career field. 

The great thing about becoming a dental assistant is job security. No matter what part of the country you move to, you will find that there is a need for your career. You simply need to transfer your license or certification to your new state and start looking for a job. People are always going to need the services of dentists, and because of this, you will always be working in a high demand career, provided you can do your job well once you have the required training.