The right degree and training as a Dental Assistant can open doors (and mouths) for you.

By Greg Kennerson

The Department of Labor estimates that the field of dental assisting will grow 29% or more between 2006 and 2016. In fact, it's expected to be one of the fastest growing occupations in the entire U.S. economy.

With these great prospects, you might be asking yourself, what does a dental assistant do?

What Does A Dental Assistant Do?

Well, according to the American Dental Association (ADA), a dental assistant can perform any of the following tasks:

-Assists the dentist with a variety of treatment procedures
-Takes and processes dental x-rays
-Helps patients feel comfortable before, during, and after dental treatment
-Records patients' medical histories and takes patients' blood pressure and pulse
-Serves as an infection control officer, developing infection control protocol, and preparing and sterilizing instruments and equipment
-Provides patients with instructions for oral care following surgery or other dental treatment
-Teaches patients oral hygiene strategies to maintain oral health; (e.g., toothbrushing, flossing, and nutritional counseling)

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What Education/Training Does a Dental Assistant Need?

In some areas of the country, dental assistants can begin their careers without a college degree. But it takes a relatively short period of time to complete the formal academic training to become a dental assistant.

The majority of academic dental assisting programs take nine to 11 months to complete, but some schools offer accelerated training, part-time education programs, or training via online classes and distance education.

Dental assistant training programs are offered by many community colleges, vocational schools, technical institutes, universities or dental schools. Graduates of these programs usually receive certificates.

The agency responsible for accrediting dental assisting programs is the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association. There were over 250 accredited dental assisting programs in the United States as of 2006.

Dental assistants can become certified by passing an examination that evaluates their knowledge. Most dental assistants who choose to become nationally certified take the Dental Assisting National Board's (DANB) Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) examination. Dental assistants are eligible to take the CDA examination if they have completed a dental assisting program accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation.

Dental assistants who have been trained on the job or have graduated from non-accredited programs are eligible to take the national certification examination after they have completed two years of full-time work as dental assistants.

State regulations vary, so check the state in which you intend to work. Some states offer registration or licensure in addition to the national certification program.

One perk of working in the field: The ADA found that 87 percent of dentists offer to help the dental assistants who work with them pay for continuing education courses.

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Where Do Dental Assistants Work?

Dental assistants can work in a variety of dental practices, including solo, group, or specialty (such as orthodontics or pediatric dentistry) practices. There are also public health dentistry settings such as schools and clinics which focus on the prevention of dental problems within entire communities and hospital dental clinics, in which dentists treat sick or bedridden patients. There are also employment opportunities for dental assistants at dental school clinics, assisting dental students as they learn to perform dental procedures.

A dental assistant may wish to take her skills and knowledge into another branch of the dental field. Other career alternatives for dental assistants can be found at insurance companies in which a dental assistant might make the transition to processing dental insurance claims. There are also opportunities in the business aspects of the dental field in which someone with dental assistant training or experience might work as a dental product sales representative.

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