The Dental Assistant training can be completed in a year or two. It is the type of training that will give you the skills needed to work in a dentist’s office. In fact, it is the stepping stone of most dental hygienist or dentist these days.
If you are thinking to become one, you can test the waters by training to become a dental assistant. Being a dentist or a dental hygienist would take four yours or so. But if you choose to become a dental assistant first, you will have the chance to practice the profession while studying to improve your skills.
As a dental assistant, your job is to help in most of the procedures performed in a dental office. Part of your daily task is to sterilize the tools needed and prepare all the items to be used by the hygienist or dentists. You will also be tasked to assist the practitioner as he or she performs the dental procedures. You will also be trained to handle certain dental equipments and tools. In certain states, dental assistants are also taught how to give local anesthesia to patients.
Needless to say, you will have first-hand experience when it comes to the task dentists have to do for their patients. While you don’t perform the procedure yourself, you’re actually around to see how it works. If you decide to continue with the course, being a dentist or hygienist would become very easy for you. You will be able to observe all the dental works done, which is very essential to your faster learning and comprehension of the dental degree. Careful observation of techniques will be a great learning experience for you. Even if you don’t have the license to perform the procedure, you do have the knowledge needed to do the task, which is what’s really important.
And if a dental assistant opts to proceed with the formal education required to become a hygienist or dentist, everything they saw at the dental facility they worked for would be indispensable. It would help a lot and they would be able to ace the exams, practical tests, and all other requirements of the course.
What’s more, dental assistants are qualified to undergo the continued educational program for aspiring dentists, which would definitely speed up the entire classroom learning process required.
A lot of dentists would rather keep qualified dental assistants who are wishing to be dentists themselves rather than hire another set of newbies for the job. As such, you can almost be sure that the dentists would allow you to work around your class schedule. Some may even offer to shoulder a portion of your school fees in exchange of working for them after completing the course.
So if you really want to be a dentist, consider the Dental Assistant route. Not only you’ll get better hands-on experience, you’ll also have an edge against all other applicants. You’ll have better experience than the rest of them because you have previously worked prior to being a dentist. Surely, a good job offer would come your way easily.