You're a great listener, extremely organized, and work well with your hands. You want to put these skills into use while pursuing a career in the dental field but aren't exactly sure how to get started. If you're ready to break into the dental industry and have a high school diploma or GED, a career as a dental assistant could be the opportunity you’re looking for!
Dental assistant schooling can help prepare you for a career that is currently in demand (1). The projected growth nationally from 2016 to 2026 for dental assistant jobs is 19% (2), which is considered much faster than average. In Michigan, the career growth for dental assistant jobs during this same period of time (from 2016 to 2026) is 19.9% (3), similar to the national average. This career growth is a great indicator that a dental assistant career is on the rise!
4 Questions You Should Ask Yourself Before Dental Assistant School
As you begin to think about different places that provide dental assistant schooling, there are several things to keep in mind. Since proper training is essential in order to launch your dental assistant career, you should ask yourself the following questions:
1.) Is hands-on training emphasized at this dental assistant school?
Since dentists rely on dental assistants to help them with many important tasks, the dental assistant school you attend should offer hands-on training to help you prepare and become well rounded in this area. This training will help you feel comfortable and confident in your newly learned skills so that you are ready to begin working as soon as your training is completed.
2.) How far is the school located?
Ideally, the school you attend should be somewhat close to where you live. This helps ensure that you can attend all of your classes without disrupting your regular daily schedule.
3.) Will I be exposed to a wide range of dental assistant skills to help make me a marketable candidate?
In order to become well versed in your new career, you want the opportunity to practice the skills you’ve learned before completing your program. A school that provides an externship is an excellent way to perform the skills you’ve learned in a dental office setting so that you become familiar with what your potential future job may entail. upon graduation.
4.) Is career services assistance available after I complete training at this school?
After completing your dental assistant training, career services assistance is a huge benefit to have available in order to help with finding employment. The school you attend should want to help you in this area and be ready to assist you with different services to help you with your job search.
What Are The Advantages Of Enrolling In A Dental Assistant School?
There are many advantages available once you decide to enroll in dental assistant schooling. Some of these benefits could include:
- Timely program duration
According to the United States Department of Labor - Bureau of Labor Statistics, the duration of a dental assistant program is about one year (4). You could fit your dental assistant training around your current commitments and be done with your training 12 months later!*
* Program completion times are contingent upon you passing all of your coursework successfully and meeting all the time requirements needed for your program.
Hands-on training can provide valuable exposure for aspiring dental assistants
By receiving hands-on training, you could have the ability to test your skills out in a future work setting during an externship. You also have the opportunity to network with potential employers, which is a valuable benefit from this professional exposure.
- Opportunity to interact with people without being confined to a computer for all of your tasks
Dental assistants help both dentists and patients on a regular basis. Patients count on dental assistants to help make their visit to the dentist a pleasant one, while also providing them with quality care. Some of the ways you might help patients include:- Ensuring that patients are comfortable in the dental chair
- Helping prepare patients and the work area for treatments and procedures
- Instructing patients in proper oral hygiene (5)
- Scheduling appointments
- Employers typically prefer candidates who have completed formal training
Although some states do not require formal training in order to become a dental assistant (6), potential employers may prefer to hire dental assistants who have graduated from a formal training program. Your training in learning a wide range of dental assistant skills could make you a valuable prospective employee.
- Ability to climb the career ladder
Your initial training can open the door to another potential opportunity in the dental industry. After completing your dental assistant training, you could have the opportunity to pursue an advanced degree as a dental hygienist.
Receive Dental Assistant training at Dorsey Schools!
Dorsey Schools can help you learn the skills needed in order to achieve success as a dental assistant in Michigan! Our dental assistant program is designed to prepare students with the tools that are required to launch your career in the dental industry as a dental assistant. Completion of our dental assistant program is also designed to prepare you to take on two components of a national certification exam. Other benefits to enrolling at Dorsey Schools are:
- Externship opportunity
An externship component is included in our dental assistant program, which will allow you to apply the skills you’ve learned into practical application!
- Smaller classroom sizes
Dorsey Schools offers small class sizes in order to give you personalized attention and the one-on-one guidance needed for your success.
- Career-Service Assistance
As a graduate of Dorsey Schools, you can benefit from career-service assistance. You're now a part of the Dorsey Schools network - your success is important to us! We will provide you with ongoing guidance and support after your studies are completed. Dorsey Schools offers career services assistance to all program completers; however, job placement is not guaranteed.
You Could Be On Your Way To Unlocking The Door To A New Career As A Dental Assistant!
By following these steps to becoming a dental assistant, you could be on your way to unlocking the door to a great new career. Dorsey Schools is ready to help you succeed and could be the dental assistant schooling experience in Michigan that you are looking for. Contact Dorsey Schools to learn how to get started on training to become a dental assistant!
Additional Information
1.) https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/dental-assistants.htm#tab-1
2.) https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/dental-assistants.htm#tab-1
3.) http://milmi.mt.gov/datasearch/projections-excel
4.) https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/dental-assistants.htm#tab-4
5.) https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/dental-assistants.htm#tab-2
6.) https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/dental-assistants.htm#tab-4
