Becoming a dental assistant is the dream of numerous candidates trying to cut through in the dental field. It is one of the fastest growing career opportunities to choose from and is popular due to the short-duration courses you can study in various schools. If you consider this as a career and profession, expect decent pay, satisfaction, and a high level of job security. However, a major kink is to choose the right school for pursuing the course. Not all dental assistant programs prepare you for a bright future. So, when taking a step towards this enriching career program, you need to choose wisely.
Here are a few things you need to compare when searching for dental assistant schools California.
Duration of the program
Several schools and training facilities offer courses for dental assistants, but the duration of the program may vary vastly. Some institutions offer full-time training whereas others offer part-time classes. Find out what your interests are and evaluate the length of the programs based on your schedule and requirements.
Check the accreditation
Another aspect to consider is confirming whether the institute where you enroll offers a certified dental assistant program or not. The program must be accredited by CODA or Commission on Dental Accreditation which is supervised by the American Dental Association. Accreditation ensures that the school you choose complies with standards of excellence for improving the quality of education. It is estimated that around 1500 dental assistance programs have received accreditation through CODA by 2019.
Completion time of the program
A majority of dental assisting schools California take about a year or less when offering diplomas or certificates. On the other hand, junior and community colleges offer associate’s degrees. Based on the data received from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, some states do not require formal training for dental assistants but the training may offer you an edge when looking for jobs.
Staff and Faculty
When choosing a school for a dental assistant course, you need to get a bit of information about the faculty and the staff. It assures you that you are receiving training under knowledgeable people in the industry. A practicing dentist usually oversees the certification programs. Furthermore, the school needs to have licensed dentists as faculties and instructors. You need to check the following about the instructors when enrolling in the school.
- Experience of the instructors
- The certifications of the faculties
- Whether the instructors work in the dental clinic
- The ratio of students and instructors
Coverage of the program
When searching for a school offering a dental assisting certificate, you need to look for training programs with wide coverage like oral health, skills, anatomy, procedures, and practices. Try to obtain the content of courses from several schools in California before enrolling in the programs.
Fees of the school
You need not just consider the content of the course but the dental assistant aspirants need to know the tuition fees, scholarships, and payment options based on the program and the school you choose. A few schools may charge exorbitantly for the course programs. So, you need to compare the financing options and costs carefully.
Curriculum and eligibility
All programs require the students to have a high school diploma or complete a given course before enrolment. You need to keep in mind the course requirements that a trainee must complete when enrolling for the course.
Facilities they offer
You must visit the school premises to see what facilities they offer. Find out whether the premises are well-maintained, clean, and brightly lit both inside and outside. The equipment needs to be new and in good condition. You need to ask how often the equipment is upgraded, whether it is up-to-date, how often they perform repairs and the kind of training they offer.
Other considerations
Some of the other factors you need to keep in mind are the graduation placement rate, whether the school offers assistance with the certification program and the availability of classes.
The dental assistant program is a promising career that is all set to grow at a very fast rate during the next decade. If you are planning to be a part of a dental assistant career, you need to enroll in the right course program and choose the best training facility. To become a registered dental assistant and help dentists in executing administrative tasks and excel in patient care, you can choose MDS Dental Assistant Academy where Dr Sachdev has been training students for over 25 years and the students get a job placement through a certified dental assistant program.