Be a dental assistant in one year or less

 

Are you a good fit to be a dental assistant?

• Do you have a thing for teeth?  
• No, really… could you look in mouths all day, every day?
• Do you have a knack for putting people at ease?

Yes, yes, and yes? Then this article is for you!

How do I become a dental assistant?

Some dental assistants receive on the job training while others receive the needed training in school and earn an associate’s degree or certificate or diploma. There are lots of schools that offer dental assistant training from community colleges to technical schools with programs taking anywhere from 6 months to 2 years. Most programs take one year or less and result in a certificate or diploma.   

Need help finding a school near you? Fill out an EdSoup profile and one of our college search advisors will help find dental assisting schools in your area.   

What do dental assistants do?

There are lots of different roles a dental assistant can fill. Depending on the office you work in you may perform all of these duties or specialize in one.  

Some dental assistants deliver patient care where their duties include getting the patient ready for treatment and trying to put them at ease while they sit in the dreaded dentist chair. I imagine this may be the hardest part of the job when sharp objects lie in their near future. It would also be your job to clean and sterilize the instruments used, hand these to the dentist while he or she is working on the patient, and many other duties.

Some dental assistants will perform laboratory duties where they make casts of teeth, make temporary crowns, etc. 

Other dental assistants may perform mostly office duties by greeting the patients, scheduling appointments, ordering supplies and materials, etc.  

The bottom line is dental assistants help keep the office run smoothly, whether that means holding a patients hand or sterilizing the instruments.  Are you up for the challenge? 

What is the average salary for dental assistants?

According to Salary.com the average salary for dental assistants is $32,622.

Helpful dental assistant links

Dental Assisting National Board

Dental Assistant Certification

American Dental Assistants Association 

Dental Assistants Association by state

Interested in more fast track programs?  Check out all the fast track careers we look into or read the next post in this series where we look at becoming a dental hygienist.