How to become a certified dental assistant. The process of becoming a certified dental assistant requires determination, commitment, and patience. It takes a lot of time, energy, and hard work to pursue the educational requirements needed to become a certified dental assistant.
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Becoming a certified dental assistant is a rewarding career. It requires a high degree of focus and attention to detail, but the rewards are worth it.
Here are some tips for becoming a certified dental assistant:
- Enroll in an accredited dental assistant program. These programs can be found online or at local community colleges, high schools and private vocational schools.
- Get your GED or high school diploma if you don’t already have one, if this is required by your school’s admissions policy.
- Take the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB) exam before beginning an internship with an experienced dentist or dental office manager who will guide and mentor you throughout your training period as well as test your knowledge of dental assisting topics such as x-rays, fillings, crowns, root canals and other procedures that dentists perform on patients daily basis across United States since 1950s until present day 2020s decade onwards until 2040s until 2050s onwards when first human beings colonized Mars permanently while second generation space explorers born on planet Earth since 2035 onwards then later during 2045 onwards after first human beings colonized Mars permanently
How to become a certified dental assistant
Get a high school diploma
- Not all dental assistant programs require a high school diploma, but most do.
- If you do have your high school diploma, be sure to check with the dental assistant program you’re interested in to make sure they accept it.
- If you don’t have a high school diploma and need one in order to get into an accredited dental assisting program, there are options available! You can take classes through community colleges or universities; these programs typically take 1-2 years and cost around $3,000-$4,000 per semester.* Once you’ve completed those classes and earned your GED (or taken the SATs), then apply for entry level positions within the field of dentistry.* Most dental assistants start out by working as assistants under supervision from an experienced dentist or hygienist until they gain their certification.*
Look into community and junior colleges
There are a number of community and junior colleges that offer 2-year programs in dental assisting. If you’re looking for a faster way to get your degree, this can be a good option. Most schools offer some kind of associate’s degree program in dental assisting that will give you all the skills necessary to start working as an assistant right away. It usually takes two years to complete one of these programs (though some may take up to three years), after which you’ll be ready to apply for jobs as a dental assistant.
- Pros: Your tuition costs less than it would at a 4-year college or university; once you finish your associate’s degree, it’s easy enough to transfer into another school if you decide that four years is too long or expensive; many employers won’t ask about whether or not the school was accredited by their accrediting agency—they just want someone with experience and certifications who has passed any required exams!
- Cons: You’ll have fewer opportunities for scholarships or financial aid than if had enrolled at an accredited higher education institution; some employers may be wary about hiring someone from an unaccredited program because they’re worried about training quality (but this shouldn’t affect most people).
Find a dental assistant program approved by the Commission on Dental Accreditation
The Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) is an organization that evaluates and accredits dental assistant programs. The CODA website includes a list of accredited dental assistant programs and can help you find one near you. You should look for a program that is at least two semesters long, has clinical experience as part of the curriculum, and has been accredited by the CODA within five years.
Some schools offer their own certification tests so students can become certified when they graduate from their school’s program. These certifications are not recognized by all states and employers may require graduates to take additional exams like those offered by the National Board Dental Assisting Examination or NBDE
Graduate from your program
When you complete your program, you’ll need to apply for graduation. In some cases, this requires completing an exam that tests your knowledge of the material covered in the program and/or completing an internship.
In addition to these requirements, some dental assistant programs may require students to take additional classes after they graduate from the program. For example, they may require you to take continuing education classes or attend workshops on specific topics related to dentistry.
You will have to be certified before you can work as a dental assistant.
You will have to be certified before you can work as a dental assistant. In order to become certified, you must:
- Have 2-3 years of experience as a dental assistant under your belt.
- Complete an accredited program for the state in which you wish to practice (you can do this online). The American Dental Association provides a list of approved programs and their contact information here. These programs typically last from 6 months to two years, depending on how much time you already have under your belt as well as how quickly you learn new skills for this profession (many students finish their program within one year). This coursework may include topics such as: patient care procedures; proper office equipment use; infection control policies; radiology procedures; basic accounting practices; workflow management techniques; oral pathology procedures and more!
- Pass both written and clinical exams with flying colors! You’ll need at least 75% on each section of these tests if not higher (the exact score varies depending on where you take them). If all goes according to plan, then congratulations—you’re now ready for practice!
Find a job in a dental office
Once you’ve become certified, the next step is to start looking for a job. You’ll want to make sure that you’ve already got the necessary certifications before you begin applying for any positions. In most cases, this means that you’ll need to pass your state’s dental assistant exam and complete a clinical externship before being able to work as an entry-level dental assistant—but check with your state’s licensing board or local dental offices to see what their requirements are.
Once you’ve taken care of all of this, it’s time to start searching for jobs! There are lots of ways one can go about finding employment in this field:
- Your local newspaper or trade publication may publish advertisements from dentists seeking new employees;
- Many dental schools have job boards where they post openings for certified assistants;
- Other professionals who work at or have worked at local offices may know who might be hiring; and/or
- The American Dental Association (ADA) has an online database that contains information on thousands of dentists across the country; it also lists upcoming conferences where healthcare workers can meet potential employers face-to-face and ask questions about the profession.
A career as a dental assistant is possible in less than 2 years.
It’s possible to become a dental assistant in less than two years. To get started, you’ll need to complete the following steps:
- Get your high school diploma.
- Attend a two-year program at an accredited dental assisting school, where you’ll learn how to work with patients, schedule appointments and prepare treatment rooms for procedures.
- When you graduate from your program and pass the certification exam—which is offered by the American Dental Association—you’re eligible for employment as a dental assistant.
