Becoming a Dental Assistant is an excellent investment in your future. Dental Assisting employment rates are projected to increase by 29% in the next ten years, so people with Dental Assistant training are expected to be in high demand*. Your investment provides career opportunities for both today and the years ahead.
Working in a dental office draws on a number of skill sets. You must master dental duties as well as complete administrative work and maintain an organizational system for the clinic. Job roles can vary from practice to practice, creating an environment that calls for adaptability. This important support role requires a number of different skills.
As an Academy of Dental Assisting Dental Assistant Graduate you are prepared for opportunities in:
- chair-side assisting duties and responsibilities.
- taking impressions and constructing study and master casts.
- operatory disinfection, instrument decontamination, and sterilization techniques.
- Preparation and disposal of local anesthetic.
- processing radiographs.
- Expanded Duties Dental Assisting–placing fillings and making temporary crowns and bridges
In addition to the above tasks, graduates receive practical hands-on training in areas such as:
- Taking and recording vital signs
- The role OSHA plays in operation of the dental office
- The use of dental specialties instrumentation
- Performing basic administrative tasks
- Completing dental insurance claim forms
- Developing independent job-seeking skills
Dental Assistant Externships
Academy of Dental Assisting Dental Assisting programs require our students to complete a practical externship in order to graduate. The externship is crucial to the learning experience for every Academy of Dental Assisting student, giving them a chance to apply what they have learned in the classroom to a real world setting. The externship also provides employers an opportunity to assess our students’ skills prior to hiring entry-level dental assistants