It's important for any high school student to have an idea or plan of what they want to pursue in the near future. Most students want to go into the medical field, become a professional athlete, a lawyer, etc. Many talk about becoming a dentist, but not a dental assistant. Simply because they feel like it's not that big of a title of being a dental assistant as compared to a dentist. Little do they know dental assistants play a big role as well in the office. A dental assistant does many tasks and duties that help benefit the dentist and also the patients. The duties of a dental assistant vary from what state or dental office they are employed in but most of the time, their duties are the same throughout any office. They are among the most …show more content…
The education requirements vary depending where you are, but typically it vary from a high school diploma to the completion of a postsecondary training program. There are no formal education requirements for entering this career and some high school students have even went from their diploma straight to on-the-job training. Although, postsecondary dental assisting programs offer more comprehensive career training. Dental assisting programs are typically 1-year diploma or certificate programs that tend to focus more on technical training through classroom, laboratory, and clinical instruction. Some community colleges also offer 2-year associate's degree programs which combine general education, technical training, and more extensive clinical practicums. Licensure and/or certification might be required by some states. Some states allow dental assistants to perform all duties assigned by a dentist but in other states they must obtain licensure or registration to perform certain duties. Obtaining the licensure vary in states as well. Some may include completing an accredited postsecondary program or may have to pass a written or practical exam, which could be required. Most dental assistants maintain licensure by earning continuing education at state-specified intervals. To get the certification, The Dental Assisting National Board offers the Certified Dental Assistant (CDA®) certification which was
Out of all the careers in the world, a dental hygienist probably has one of the most interesting and flexible jobs. Not only is this career interesting and flexible, but it is also very helpful towards others and usually pays pretty well too. Many people become dental hygienists because of the easy education requirements and high demand for their jobs. These days, dental hygienists are more respected and being hired more rapidly due to the fact that more and more people are keeping and taking better care of their teeth. They also say that at the end of the day they feel accomplished in knowing that they helped improved their patient’s health, even if only in the slightest way (“Interview with a Professional”).
Having shadowed a dental hygienist prior to that of a dental assistant I didn’t know what to expect their job to be. Although I did assume a dental assistant’s job consisted of handing instruments to the doctor during the various procedures so I was surprised to see just how many responsibilities they have. Each dental clinic has different expectations of what they require their dental assistant to do in my shadowing experience they were responsible for: preparing the room prior to the patients arrival, greeting the patient upon arrival and inviting them into the operation room, confirming dental history with the patient, briefing them on the procedure they are about to have and what to expect, answering the clients questions to the best of their abilities, assisting the doctor in the procedure and aiding with any tasks required of you, when the patient is ready to leave helping them to look presentable and explaining what to expect after that kind of procedure, updating and verifying dental records, and sanitizing and sterilization of the room and all instruments after departure of
Dentistry as a profession over the years has evolved rapidly in light of new scientific evidence. Rapidly evolving science and technology have implemented changes within dentistry as evidenced by new standards and guidelines being produced by nationally recognised associations including National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), Faculty of General Dental Practice (FGDP) and Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) in Scotland, in provision of new scientific evidence. The latest standards and guidelines produced, endorse everyday clinical practice through evidence based dentistry (REF). All dental professionals as part of continued professional development are expected to keep to date on relevant guidelines and knowledge related to their practice (REF). This is supported by the General Dental Council who state all clinicians must maintain their professional knowledge and competence throughout their working career (REF).
Dental assistants with advanced certification or training will likely have the best job prospects.” (“Dental Assistants”). This job comes with good benefits and also a good salary. Dental assistants that have the best certification get the best spots in the workplace which calls for better benefits.
Every day in the life of a dental assistant is an exciting one because of the wide variety of people you meet and the tasks that are performed. Not to mention knowing that you are contributing to helping people maintain their health by maintaining their teeth and gums.
In most states, a high school diploma is the only educational requirement for dental assistants because the employer will give the worker on-the-job training. On-the-job training is sometimes required for employees who have already graduated from an accredited college and earned a degree in dental assisting. Some states require that you become licensed or registered, that you complete an accredited program at a college and that you take and pass an examination. Several states even require that you continue your education to maintain your licensure.
The general purpose of being a medical assistant is that you are helping people that are in need of help. They also perform routine/ clinical tasks to keep the offices of physicians and other practitioners running smoothly. Scheduling appointments for patients, billing, coding, etc. In this job you perform administrative and certain clinical duties under direction of a physician. Some tools/ skills that will be used daily is tools; hypodermic needle, blood pressure units, scope sets; skills; speaking, active listening, reading comprehension, monitoring, writing, active learning etc. Tasks and activities that will be performed
Any job in the medical field is great, because it will always be needed no matter what. Doctors, nurses, techs, etc. are all very important and necessary people, but the people behind the scenes are just as important, medical administrative assistants. Being a medical administrative assistant seems awfully difficult, you have all these responsibilities but at the end of the day you’ll have a sense of satisfaction because you may have possibly really helped a patient or family with a serious and hard situation. There are different types or categories of medical administrative assistants, you have the front office, the back office, the clinic setting, private practices, and the floating position. Duties for
Bureau of Labor Statistics (“Dental Hygienists”), the required education is either a certificate or an associate’s degree. In high school some classes are to take is biology, chemistry, mathematics, and get some volunteer hours at a dental clinic (“Career: Dental Hygienists”). This license is required by every state in the country. For one to even be considered as an applicant, the student must have, at the minimum, a high school diploma. The most common schooling for somebody aspiring to become a dental hygienist is a two year schooling program from a school that is recognized as being accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (“How to Become”). Most college classes to become a hygienist are oral biology, community dental health, dental materials, and nutrition in dentistry (“Dental Hygienist Education…”). There are many other classes to be taken to get certified. If one wished to progress further into the field the hygienist would need to pursue a bachelor’s degree, as most employees want a person with four years of schooling (“How to
Healthcare is a necessity to sustain society. Dentistry is an area of healthcare that I feel extremely passionate about because access to proper dental care is limited, especially in the underserved communities. As an African American, I want to become a dentist and healthcare provider in the hopes of helping patients and adding to the diversification of the field. With a growing minority population in the United States, it has become apparent that there is a shortage of black dentists. This is problematic because underrepresented minorities are in great need of access to culturally connected dentists who understand their clinical needs as much as their lives and their challenges. I believe that when the profession includes a range of ethnicities
When most people think of dental hygienists, the first and only thing they think about it cleaning and whitening teeth. However, that is mainly what dental hygienists do, but they also learn to do a lot more than that. According the occupational outlook handbook, hygienists clean teeth, examine patients for signs of oral diseases such as gingivitis, and provide other preventative dental care. They also educate patients on ways to improve and maintain good oral health. As explained on American Dental Association, the dental hygienist...
You have found a vacancy for a Dental Assistant and you know you are the perfect candidate, but how do you demonstrate this in an interview? A dental assistant is an important position in all practices. The ability to liaise with patients, prepare dental equipment and complete administration duties with ease are essential.
The duties of a dental assistant are among the most comprehensive and varied in the dental office. The dental assistant performs many tasks requiring both interpersonal and technical skills. Obviously, they assist the dentist during
A few weeks ago when I went to the dentist I asked my hygienist a bunch of questions while she was working on my teeth. She was telling me how she has always had a passion for teeth and she would never trade her job for any other. She started off as a dental assistant and decided to go back to school to become a dental hygienist. I asked her what her favorite parts of the job were, she said she has great benefits and that my dentist pays her as much as a doctor would make. Some of her favorite parts of working in a dental office is that she has close relationships with her coworkers because of the size of the facility. She likes working as a hygienist better than an assistant because she is pretty much her own boss and can do things the way she prefers to do them.
Introduction: In Canada, general dental health is not part Canada’s national system of health insurance (Medicare) (1) except for some dental surgical procedures that are performed at hospitals. Since Oral health does not come under the Health Act about ninety-five percent of the oral health care services are offered on a fee-for-service basis. Oral health care is under provincial or territorial jurisdiction like other health care services and publically financed dental care programs provide the remaining five percent of oral health care services (2). Thus, majority of Canadians receive oral health via privately owned dental clinics. Privately owned dental care gives these services providers control over dental service charges, types of available treatment for the patients and number of follow-up appointment for treatments or routine care. Service users pay for the dental expenses from their own pockets or utilize insurance coverage (1).