Finding a Dental Assistant job?

[NuckingFutz]

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Has anyone been able to find a dental assistant related job for their year off so far? I've been to two interviews thus far but whenever I go they ask about if i'm attending dental school which I have to say "yes" to 😱

I feel it only gets worse when they ask when i'm applying and I'm forced to say this cycle. I feel like this really kills my chances at getting the position (even when they really like me 😱)

Do you think them knowing i'll be around for a year (at least) kills my chances?

I've been looking for a job for two months now and so far i've got zilch 😴

 

[whoaaitzkyle]

Has anyone been able to find a dental assistant related job for their year off so far? I've been to two interviews thus far but whenever I go they ask about if i'm attending dental school which I have to say "yes" to 😱

I feel it only gets worse when they ask when i'm applying and I'm forced to say this cycle. I feel like this really kills my chances at getting the position (even when they really like me 😱)

Do you think them knowing i'll be around for a year (at least) kills my chances?

I've been looking for a job for two months now and so far i've got zilch 😴

I think most doctors don't want dental assistants that are staying around for less than a year because it costs a lot to train you and it's probably more worth it for them to just get a RDA. However, I don't think you should lose hope...there are plenty of doctors I'm sure that want to give the same opportunities they received as a predent back to the community you just have to keep looking! good luck 🙂

 

[NuckingFutz]

Has anyone actually been successful in getting a job as a dental assistant?

 

[Rubber Dam Man]

I have been lucky because I have worked in a dental laboratory for many years and got to know a few dentists fairly well. I got to know one that lived 2 minutes from my house and she was in the process of expanding her practice from 4 chairs to 8... she was bringing in 3 new dentists, 1 pediatric dentist, and an endodontist. I was honest with her and told her how I would love to gain experience working alongside a dentist and she hired me as soon as I completed my dental assistant certification course. I was put with an amazing dentist who absolutely loves to teach everything to me as he works, not to mention helping me learn the ropes (ie. taking perfect impressions, pouring models, taking accurate x-rays, etc). On thursdays and fridays, when he isn't there, I work with the endodontist who was also thrilled when she learned I was applying to dental school. Bottom line... I have learned SO MUCH.

Just don't give up... you'll find one eventually who will bring you in... it will be the best dental experience you'll ever receive. I have been doing it for almost a 1.5 years now and feel very confident in my clinical skills. Keep searching!!!

did you complete the certification course? and get x-ray certified?... that is typically a must have

 

[indpndntrd]

I have been lucky because I have worked in a dental laboratory for many years and got to know a few dentists fairly well. I got to know one that lived 2 minutes from my house and she was in the process of expanding her practice from 4 chairs to 8... she was bringing in 3 new dentists, 1 pediatric dentist, and an endodontist. I was honest with her and told her how I would love to gain experience working alongside a dentist and she hired me as soon as I completed my dental assistant certification course. I was put with an amazing dentist who absolutely loves to teach everything to me as he works, not to mention helping me learn the ropes (ie. taking perfect impressions, pouring models, taking accurate x-rays, etc). On thursdays and fridays, when he isn't there, I work with the endodontist who was also thrilled when she learned I was applying to dental school. Bottom line... I have learned SO MUCH.

Just don't give up... you'll find one eventually who will bring you in... it will be the best dental experience you'll ever receive. I have been doing it for almost a 1.5 years now and feel very confident in my clinical skills. Keep searching!!!

did you complete the certification course? and get x-ray certified?... that is typically a must have

Rubber Dam Man,

By "the certification course," you mean a one year program right? Did you take your normal undergrad courses while going to classes for the dental assisting program at the same time?

 

[PreDent08]

Has anyone actually been successful in getting a job as a dental assistant?

i got a part-time job as an oral surgery assistant...although the omfs i work for is my neighbor. so that doesn't really count though haha...

 

[alanan84]

Count me in on this. I recently found out that where I currently work is going to be closing. Now I'm looking into trying to get a job as a dental assistant. Every state may be different but it looks like you can take a one day class and exam to become a registered dental assistant which is where I'm going to start. I think the challenge is going to be finding a place that will hire me part time.

 

[Pat Kelly]

Count me in on this. I recently found out that where I currently work is going to be closing. Now I'm looking into trying to get a job as a dental assistant. Every state may be different but it looks like you can take a one day class and exam to become a registered dental assistant which is where I'm going to start. I think the challenge is going to be finding a place that will hire me part time.

I think the one day class and exam - if it exists - is for CDAs from other states or countries who actually took the year long module. You can't expect to learn everything you need to know about assisting in one day. Why don't you just start off by volunteering and increase your chance in getting them to hire you once you do great work?

 

[alanan84]

I think the one day class and exam - if it exists - is for CDAs from other states or countries who actually took the year long module. You can't expect to learn everything you need to know about assisting in one day. Why don't you just start off by volunteering and increase your chance in getting them to hire you once you do great work?

Well, that's a great idea (and what I'm doing in the tiny bit of spare time I have) but unfortunately volunteering doesn't happen to pay the bills. The one day class is not a dental assistant training course. It just covers the material you need to know to pass the exam so you can legally take x-rays. The tough thing is getting hired somewhere that is willing to give you on the job training. Here is the site that I got this from if anyone wants to check it out: http://www.tsbde.state.tx.us/index.php?option=com_content&task=category&sectionid=8&id=21&Itemid=75

 

[hoss19]

there are numerous ways to get your foot in the door...

1. find a group that goes on a dental mission. when i applied for a job as a DA i put this on my resume (having no previous experience) and all my interviewers ate it up. plus a few of dentists that i assisted on the trip forwarded my resume onto other dentists that were in need of assistants.

2. volunteer at a clinic that offers you a chance to get your hands durty...

3. look into classes offering education on DA

4. ask the dentist that you shadow if you can assist on some basic procedured like fillings, srp, etc.

5. dont let an employer say "no". if they tell you this, counter with a plan for you to assist for free for a week so that you can show them what you got.

6. locate a dental employee placement firm in your city and speak with them. the dentist i work for is actually being forced to take a hiatus due to health issues so i am taking this route to find a new job.

the more experience you have, the more willing an employer will have to give you a shot.

best of luck

 

[NuckingFutz]

Thanks everyone for the advice! Also what's the best way to get x-ray certified in MA? I've tried looking but usually came up with shady courses 🙄

 

[Rubber Dam Man]

The course I took was through the community college. It was ~3.5 months in the summer and we would meet twice a week for 4 hours at a time. The dentist who taught the course (he was the head of the program), taught us at his enormous practice after hours. In doing so, we were able to apply the things we were learning on each other in the operatory. We would usually break into groups of 4/operatory - he had 12 chairs!... and 4 assistants would stay after work to help us on the days we were in the back. We had a final at the end which led to the certification and then we had to register to take the radiography exam through the ada.

Hope that helps!

 

[BubbaBear]

NuckingFutz, I got a job as a dental assistant after one of my shadowing experiences. The dentists there are great and really into helping students who are serious about becoming dentists. One of their assistants was about to go on maternity leave, so they trained me to assist while she was out... and then they kept me when she came back. I know I got pretty lucky but I did apply to like a bazillion other assistant jobs before them and never got a job. A couple places told me I was too qualified for having a B.S. and I thought I would ask for too much money (yea right). I told them I just wanted experience but I never even got an interview.

So I guess what I'm saying is maybe just talk to a couple places you've shadowed. Maybe even offer to volunteer until you're trained?? Or just look for a practice with a pregnant dental assistant. Even if you have to volunteer a day or two a week and have another job to pay the bills... it's worth it. You learn SO MUCH.

 

[NuckingFutz]

NuckingFutz, I got a job as a dental assistant after one of my shadowing experiences. The dentists there are great and really into helping students who are serious about becoming dentists. One of their assistants was about to go on maternity leave, so they trained me to assist while she was out... and then they kept me when she came back. I know I got pretty lucky but I did apply to like a bazillion other assistant jobs before them and never got a job. A couple places told me I was too qualified for having a B.S. and I thought I would ask for too much money (yea right). I told them I just wanted experience but I never even got an interview.

So I guess what I'm saying is maybe just talk to a couple places you've shadowed. Maybe even offer to volunteer until you're trained?? Or just look for a practice with a pregnant dental assistant. Even if you have to volunteer a day or two a week and have another job to pay the bills... it's worth it. You learn SO MUCH.

Its funny because one dentist said the same thing to me (being overqualified). I told the dentist who interview me last week that money wasn't the problem (she told me about biotech opportunities). Overall I can see where she's coming from since I would be around for a year or so but I guess I was hoping she would overlook that since I was really enthustiastic about learning more about dentistry 😳

She needs someone by Oct 3rd and told me she was doing secondary interviews. I was hoping at least for the secondary interview to explain myself 😕

 

[doc toothache]

With a 4-year degree in the pocket it is difficult to justify seeking a position as a dental assistant, a position one can attain with several months of training.

 

[NuckingFutz]

In either case I think it's going to be extremely difficult to find an employer willing to hire someone for only a year especially for a dental assistant or lab technician position.

What does everyone else plan on doing for their year off? I'd like to travel but doing so without $$ to back it up is kind of a set back 😳