Dental Assisting

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smile matters

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What does it take to be an assistant during my gap year? I am graduating in december and I will be taking a gap year so I have a year and half total.
 
I am currently working as an assistant in my gap year! I would highly recommend as I feel I have learned a great deal that I will ~hopefully~ carry with me into my potential career as a dentist! I would say the most important thing is finding a dentist that is patient, kind, and willing to work with you. I was lucky enough to find a dentist that hired me soon after undergrad with only shadowing as my prior experience. It definitely can be stressful and demanding, especially in the beginning, but it is extremely rewarding. Again, I was trained completely on the job and this can be hard to come by so do not get frustrated if it takes some time to find a dentist willing to train you! Additionally, you may be required to take a radiology course to obtain your x-ray certification. Luckily, we have other assistants at my office with this certification so I just do not take x-rays 🙂 The dentist that I work for cared more about my DAT score than taking bitewings. Feel free to PM me if you have more questions!
 
It depends on the state your in. Some require state certification in order to touch a patient. You need to find out what your state requires.
 
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Like mentioned it depends on the state. In Washington all you need to do is register with the state department of health, complete some HIV questionnaires and you are good to go. I went to a 10 week program to get a bit of schooling done and then applied to a bunch of places, but you could skip all that if you can find a dentist willing to train you.
 
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I started as a volunteer at a dental office. After a month, I asked if they would be willing to hire me, and they said yes.

That would be the best way if you have no experience. Otherwise, you are up against other assistants who have official training and certifications. Some offices have programs where they will pay for your certifications if you agree to work for them for at least a year.
 
toothyprincess said:
I am currently working as an assistant in my gap year! I would highly recommend as I feel I have learned a great deal that I will ~hopefully~ carry with me into my potential career as a dentist! I would say the most important thing is finding a dentist that is patient, kind, and willing to work with you. I was lucky enough to find a dentist that hired me soon after undergrad with only shadowing as my prior experience. It definitely can be stressful and demanding, especially in the beginning, but it is extremely rewarding. Again, I was trained completely on the job and this can be hard to come by so do not get frustrated if it takes some time to find a dentist willing to train you! Additionally, you may be required to take a radiology course to obtain your x-ray certification. Luckily, we have other assistants at my office with this certification so I just do not take x-rays 🙂 The dentist that I work for cared more about my DAT score than taking bitewings. Feel free to PM me if you have more questions!
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Thank you for the info! I might PM with some questions, I would appreciate it if you are willing to answer them.
 
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