If you have ever felt the pull towards employment at a dental practice but never felt you had it in your to be dentist–or you do not, but want the next best thing–you can always pursue practical dental assistant training. You may not be the dentist you wanted to be, but you can assistant other dentists while still getting experience and working in your dream environment.
In fact, perhaps practical dental assistant training is all you need before taking another crack at being a dentist, or if you are interested in the dental field. But what does it take? Is it even worth it? Absolutely! You get to be a part of one of the most trusted and ethical professions that America has to offer, for starters. And with 127.6 million American adults visiting the dentist every single day, you would not worry much about finding a position.
Certified Instead of a College Degree
You read that right. Dental assistants actually snag a DANB CDA certification. There is no dental school clinics involved or dental college. You see, dental assistants do not perform the same surgical tasks that a dentist does. Instead, a dental assistant is a dentist’s right-hand man. They assist but never take part in actual dental work. However, dental assists do help patients with customer service, teaching patients dental habits, hygiene and scheduling appointments. They are quite the diverse niche of the dental field.
One of the best perks of practical dental assistant training is the fact that you get hands-on training. Many dental offices actually have patients that will gladly opt into having a dental assistant-in-training to operate various tasks.
It is a Career, not a Job
As many as 95 percent of DANB CDA certificants take their work very seriously and see their work as part of a career, not a job. Considering 70 percent of DANB CDA certificants were given a raise, it is hard to argue against that idea. Not to mention, 89 percent of DANB CDA certificants enjoy their career quite a lot. That is an incredible turnover rate.
And who could argue with over 7000, and counting, employed dental assistants? And that is just in Arizona, back in 2017.
If you had serious aspirations in the dental field, and you are not sure if a dentist is the right career path, then perhaps starting out as a dental assistant will give you the experience you need to make a more solid choice. You get to see a dentist in action and learn the ropes while you are at it.
