Thu, Nov 4th, 2010 @ 12:00 am

Dental assistants help dentists examine patients and prepare for dental procedures. They play a necessary and invaluable role in every dental office and hospital with a dental clinic. Currently the demand for dental assistants is high and increasing each year, with the US Bureau of Labor Statistics projecting that the need for dental assistants will continue to rise through 2016. Almost all dental assistants work for dentists, oral surgeons, or hospitals.

Registration Opens Doors

In California, high school graduates can enter a dental assisting career straight out of school with no additional training or certification. Unlicensed dental assistants, however, are limited in their earning potential and the tasks they are allowed to do. According to California law, unlicensed dental assistants need at least three years of experience at a dental assisting job before they can pursue certification and become licensed.

Alternatively, SJVC in California offers a training program in dental assisting that prepares students for certification as a Registered Dental Assistant. Dental assisting courses include a number of lectures and labs that are meant to train students in facial anatomy, dental tool recognition, and patient care. SJVC teaches:

• Dental anatomy
• Dental radiology
• Dental software
• Preventive dentistry
• Dental practice management
• Dental science
• Coronal polishing

At the end of a dental assistant program graduates can immediately pursue certification. This requires paying to take the Certified Dental Assistant exam offered by the Dental Assisting National Board. After obtaining a license, dental assistants are required to renew it every twelve months. Though licensing is not required in California, licensed dental assistants are in higher demand among dentists, and are paid more than unlicensed dental assistants. Licensed dental assistants do the same work as unlicensed dental assistants, but have expanded duties as well, which include taking patient histories, examining teeth for damage, handling teeth whitening treatments, and inserting and removing dressings after oral surgeries.

Contact SJVC Today

If a career in Dental Assisting interests you, contact SJVC today by filling out the form to the right. Our Fresno, Visalia, or Bakersfield campuses are proud to over SJVC's dental assistant program.