The timeframe required to being a dental assistance varies from state to state. While you are required to take a 1-year dental assistance program in some states, in others you can become a dental assistance as soon as you are hired for the job. For most state by state requirements, your credentials would often cover certification, experience requirements, and education. But it’s important to cross-reference all your information during the dental assisting courses so as to give you a rough estimate of how long it takes to become a dental assistance.
Table of Contents
What it takes to become a dental assistance
While it may not take you any formal training to practice as a dentist in some states, others will require you to have some vocational form of training. These training can take between three to six months to complete with the cost varying from $3000 to $5000. In other cases, you might be required to work as a dental assistance after attaining a certain level of in-office training. Any of these two options will make you qualify for dental assistance. Some of the ways to becoming a dental assistance include;
A DANB Certification
This certification is not necessary for some states and should be considered if it is a possibility in your jurisdiction. For many states that offer this certification, you are required to have it before legally practicing as a dental assistance. If the Dental Assisting National Board, Inc. (DANB) certification is required in your state, then you will be required to fill out the appropriate DANB certification exams to qualify as a practicing dental assistance. With such kind of certification, you can comfortably earn about $19.00an hour, which is $2.00 more than what a non-certified assistance would get.
Timeframe to become a certified dental assistant
Before becoming a fully pledged certified dental assistant, it’s required of you to calculate the requirements that work for you. This will guide you on how long it will take you to become a dental assistant. If you opt to practice dental assisting without going through any certification, then you will probably have to go through an in-office training of between 10 to 12 weeks. This is an outline of what it takes to become a certified dental assistant.
- You should have completed a high school or have a grade 12 equivalent
- You need to have completed a pre-requisite course
- You should complete an accredited dental assisting program that takes between 1 to 2 years.
- Completion of a DANB accepted cardiopulmonary resuscitation certification
- Mail in the DANB exam application
- Keep tabs on the result in your mail which often takes (3 to 4 weeks).
Aside from the requirements mentioned, there are still other possible requirements for any aspiring. These additional requirements might vary depending on the path you choose to obtain the certification. The alternative to taking an exam will be if you have worked for more than 3500 hours as a dental assistant. What more these hours must have been garnered within the last two to three years for you to be licensed as a dentist. You can also click here for more info on the requirements needed to become a dental assistance.