For the guys in dental school. Would assisting a dentist full time from now until august help me a great deal when I am in dental school? I ask this because It would be a great finacial sacrafice for my family and I, and I would not want to undertake this if the gains for dental school are minimal...any advice? Do the people who come into dental school "raw" (meaning with only shadowing experience) struggle?

For the guys in dental school. Would assisting a dentist full time from now until august help me a great deal when I am in dental school? I ask this because It would be a great finacial sacrafice for my family and I, and I would not want to undertake this if the gains for dental school are minimal...any advice? Do the people who come into dental school "raw" (meaning with only shadowing experience) struggle?


So far from what i've seen (i'm only a first year) you'd be helping yourself out a lot more if you worked for a dental lab technician as opposed to a dental assistant

as a side note, if you'd be making a huge financial sacrifice i would just stick with your job until you go to school because at least half your class will be starting from scratch just like you. and for the people who have experience, the work they have done doesn't compare to the miniscule detail that their professors ask of us students.

anyways, just my 2cents, goodluck

I took dental assisting classes + x-ray certification prior to dental school and it helped quite a bit. I think working in the field for a year might be overkill especially if your gpa & DAT are pretty good. If you can afford it, sure. If not then.......it's up to you
Cheers

Assistants are really good at: placing rubber dams, the order of instruments for restorations, providing suction, taking radiographs, taking alginate impressions, and many other things. You will be taught all of this in dental school and have plenty of clinical practice. Sure, you will have trouble the first few times, but I would not take a big financial hit because of it. Most people don't have assisting experience and do great. It depends what you do when you get there.

Don't assist unless it is convenient for you. The skills you will develop in 1 year will be minimal. The rest of your class will be caught up with you in a matter of weeks. It only takes so long to learn the names of instruments and how to place a rubber dam.

I am not minimizing the skills and knowledge of a good, experienced assistant, but it won't help you out in dental school as much as you think.

I went to dental assisting school and got my radiology safety certificate. I agree that it's not worth it if it's a financial burden for you. What you learn in dental assisting is only the basics which you can study on your own and your classmates will catch up quickly. I worked as an assistant for a great mentor for somewhat less than a year and learned about healthcare professionalism, teamwork, leadership, business management, patient communication, and other aspects that may help you to form your own practice style once you graduate. You may have some difficulty in finding a dentist willing to train on the job; you will learn more quickly than someone with a career goal of being an assistant, but you will be leaving for dental school and your doctor will lose his/her investment in you.

Does anyone have any good experience as a lab technician? Without training, wouldn't you only get to pour plaster, mount casts, and manage cases? Anyone learn to stack porcelain, fabricate frameworks, or dentures?

Hey guys thanks for the replies!