Most jobs in the dental industry require a college degree. But what if you don’t have years to devote to higher education? The good news is you have options. You can land a rewarding role in the dental field by becoming a dental assistant.

 

Can You Be a Dental Assistant Without a Degree?

Most positions in dentistry require higher education. Being a dentist requires up to eight years in college plus a post-graduate program to specialize. Dental hygienists need an associate or bachelor’s degree. But to become a dental assistant, there’s no training requirement. However, with a highly competitive job market, you will need some form of education or job training. The field has become too complex to take a risk on inexperienced job seekers. Yet as an applicant, how can you get experience if no one will hire you? The solution is a dental assisting diploma program.

You’ll learn everything you need to perform the same hands-on functions as experienced dental assistants without wasting time waiting for your big break. Designed for beginners, full-time students can graduate in less than twelve months, ready to hit the ground running.

What Are the Benefits of Getting a Diploma in Dental Assisting?

There are many benefits to getting a diploma in dental assisting. From comprehensive and hands-on training to the ability to try new things and learn from industry-experienced instructors. Plus, a dental assisting diploma will give you a leg up on your competition.

Benefit #1: Comprehensive Education

Vocational schools prepare students faster than colleges by focusing only on practical skills. The education you receive is as complete as what universities offer, except for general electives that have little impact on your ability to do the job. Why does a dental assistant need to take a class in 18th-century art? Education is never wasted, but courses that don’t prepare you for a job are a luxury you don’t have. Enrolling in a vocational school diploma program isn’t a shortcut; it’s just a shorter path.

Benefit #2: Hands-on Training

Vocational school programs are a blend of classroom education and hands-on training. Using the same equipment found in oral care practices, you learn how to perform the procedures you will do as dental assistants on real patients. It’s an incomparable, real-world learning opportunity and a service to the community.

Benefit #3: Practice Makes Perfect

No one wants a job they can’t fulfill. If you’ve ever wondered how good you’ll be at dental assisting, you’ll find out in a vocational school program. You’ll have the benefit of making mistakes before you fill out a job application. With the right guidance, trial and error helps you be more confident in your skills. You can learn anything with practice.

Benefit #4: Industry-Experienced Instructors

A degree demonstrates knowledge, but only experience validates skills. Vocational schools hire only seasoned instructors who’ve worked in the field. As you learn your craft, you’ll gain valuable insight from instructors who’ve been there. So often, there’s a chasm between what’s learned in school and the real work environment. There’s no one better than an industry-experienced instructor to show you the ropes.

Benefit #5: Career Services

Vocational schools are dedicated to finding jobs for their students. From day one, you’ll work with career advisers who know your strengths and can steer you to top opportunities. Did you know that many choice positions are never advertised? Instead, employers tap vocational schools for qualified graduates with proven skills. As a graduate from a vocational school, you’ll be among the first in line.

What Do You Learn During a Dental Assisting Diploma Program?

Today’s dental assisting students receive training in what’s called expanded functions. You could work for a decade without a diploma and never be able to practice these skills. It’s better than experience. You learn a wide range of clinical skills they can perform with distance supervision from a dentist, such as:

Skill #1: Clinical Charting

There’s a rule in medicine, if it’s not documented, it wasn’t done. But clinical charting is different than making appointments. It can’t be done by just anyone. The information must be clear, timely and accurate, requiring the know-how of a trained dental assistant.

Skill #2: Oral Hygiene Instruction

There’s no greater thrill for someone passionate about oral care than teaching others to take better care of their teeth. Home hygiene is essential for a healthy mouth, yet remarkably few people know what that entails. As a dental assistant, you’ll work with patients of all ages, showing them how to brush, floss and maintain their dental appliances. It’s a great feeling.

Skill #3: Equipment Care

Dental assistants safeguard their patient’s health by keeping exam room surfaces sanitized and equipment properly disinfected. In a dental assistant diploma program, you’ll learn about the pathogens that cause infectious diseases and how to manage them through sanitation, disinfection and sterilization.

Skill #4: Tray Prep

Dental assistants prepare chairside instrument trays, so dentists have everything they need for procedures from fillings and root canals to extractions and oral surgery. Keeping them in proper order is a must to prevent cross-contamination. Preparation is the best tool for keeping patients safe and the schedule running smoothly.

Skill #5: Fluoride Treatments

Fluoride prevents cavities, but fewer than half of Americans drink from fluoridated public water supplies. In addition to using fluoride toothpaste, topical fluoride treatments support healthy tooth enamel. Painless, it’s a procedure you’ll perform mostly on growing children.

Skill #6: Sealants

Dental sealants are thin liquid coatings that form a barrier over teeth, protecting them from bacteria and decay. A multi-step process, teeth are cleaned, dried and coated with an acid primer that prepares them for the sealants. You’ll work side-by-side with dental hygienists performing this important service.

Skill #7: Applying Topical Anesthetics

Lidocaine injections prevent nerve pain during drilling, but they’re no picnic either. To ease the discomfort, you’ll apply light topical anesthetics to the gums, numbing the injection site, so it’s also discomfort-free.

Skill #8: Polishing Restorations

Amalgam fillings are rough when complete. The dentist checks the patient’s bite to ensure teeth occlude as expected, but dental assistants save professionals’ time by completing the process. You’ll use an ultrasonic polisher to remove minor irregularities from the filling’s surface so that it’s less irritating to the patient’s cheek and tongue.

Skill #9: Take Dental Impressions

Dentists use alginate impressions to create a precise mold of a patient’s mouth. You’ll learn how to pour and take the impressions used to fabricate dentures, partials and crowns.

Skill #10: Periodontal Wound Care

Periodontal procedures that require incisions need quality aftercare. As a dental assistant, you’ll place and remove dressings as directed and assist with suture removal.

Skill #11: Place and Remove Matrices

As the dentist’s chairside assistant, you’ll assist with fillings by positioning and removing the matrix that holds the filling material. It provides the surface dentists need to do multi-surface restorations.

Skill #12: Obtaining Bacteriological Samples

Oral health infections have consequences that are more than mouth deep. As serious as any other infection, you may be asked to take a sample of a wound or abscess if the presence of bacteria is suspected. Like a nurse, you’ll learn how to obtain bacteriological samples that meet laboratory guidelines, processing them for shipment and analysis.

Skill #13: Coronal Polishing

Polishing teeth above the gum line reduces stains and gives teeth that just-cleaned feel. But it also smooths out tiny surface imperfections that can attract bacteria and contribute to decay.

Final Thoughts

Education is an investment, so it’s important to spend your money where it counts. A diploma is an easier way to get a job as a dental assistant, but it can be just the beginning. With experience, a diploma is the perfect foundation upon which to further your education. With demand for dental assistants, hygienists and dentists at an all-time high, it’s the ideal way to secure your future in a meaningful and exciting field without a degree.

Are you ready to learn more about becoming a dental assistant?  The Dental Assistant training program at Meridian College provides extensive hands-on training including a school externship at a dental office where you will assist the dentist in treating actual patients.

Meridian College also has dedicated school instructors, which offer you training in dental assisting that you can use to get an entry-level position at a dentist office or dental clinic. You get to work in real world situations and use your training from classroom lectures to further your skill during lab work in dental assisting.

Contact Meridian College today to learn more about becoming a dental assistant.