Study Dental Assistant as a back up?

[CuRy]

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This holiday, I shadow with a general dentist. I just stand there to see the dentist either consulting or working on the patients. The owner is an oral surgeon dentist having a chain of dental clinics. He is a good friend of my parents. He told me that I could stay to work at one of his clinics after finishing the shadow. Even working as a dental assistant, we need to have a certificate (I believe so!). I was a chemical engineer, so I don’t know which job he would assign to me and how much he would pay me. His secretary told me that I would get paid even in this shadow. I don’t want to owe him now! I am waiting responses from the dental schools and still have one semester to finish advanced Biology courses. However, if I didn’t get in this year, then I would have a spare summer and a spare year. I don’t want him know this bad option. I find information on the careers of dental assistant and dental hygienist. I see that the dental assistant fits better with my career path. There is one community college in my city having this one-year program. To you, I would like to have your opinions about this plan or other options. I only discuss with that dentist after I am sure about my plan. I am now living in Nashville, Tennessee and the dental assistant is good here. Thanks!

Dental experience is a necessary to me. In a recent interview with UT Memphis, one of three interviewers suggested me to shadow with a general dentist. She had good reason for it. I changed good careers many times. When I was in my country, I studied Civil Engineering at a prestigious engineering school. As I immigrated to America, Vanderbilt granted my transfer for studying Chemical Engineering. Right after my graduation, I came to work for Phillips 66 Petroleum Refinery in Borger, Texas as a process control engineer. Felt bored with small town, after working there for one and half years, I switched to work for the Control Systems Consulting Group of Honeywell Inc. in Houston, Texas. I worked there for 4 months then due to a conflict with my project group I was laid off. I felt pain for traveling and often being on the chemical plants but I didn’t get much paid and high respected from my community. I decided to change to a healthcare career either dentistry or pharmacy. Just a few days of shadowing with a dentist, I could live with it- promise not to change again 🙂 . I am now 32 years old!

 

[Kmorin]

I used to work as a dental assistant and I was not certified alot of times you do not have to be to assist. However to take X-rays you need to be X-ray certified but I know alot of people who took them and were not. It's great experience if you can I thought it was alot of fun ..... go for it if I were you.

 

[dentalguy]

I would think that many d-schools would look highly upon an applicant like yourself.....I would definetely do some more shadowing though to show them that you like it and that its what you want to do with your life......how was your science GPA and overall GPA...?

 

[Sprgrover]

Hi CuRy - welcome to SDN! 👍 I am not familiar with the state of Tennessee so I am not sure if you are required to have a certificate inorder to work as a dental assistant (a degree is necessary, however, if you want to be a hygenist). I know that in my home state (Idaho) a certificate was not required and thus I was able to volunteer as dental assistant. The pay for such a position undoubtldy compares to what you were earning as a chemical engineer. If you are able to make ends meet with such earnings then working for your friend would be a great situation as you will gain valuable experience in a dental environment. If not, then working on the side for your friend or continuing to shadow him would also be just as great (experience is experience). Best of luck!

 

[hona]

I have been working as a dental assistant since May. I live in Florida and you do not need an assistant's certification. I take x-rays and pretty much do everything but cut teeth. My boss even lets me use the high speed handpiece in the mouth to adjust temporary crowns. I am going to UF next year and feel that working as an assistant put me a step above the rest of the candidates. I am 34 years old.
hona

 

[dexadental]

I see you're a chemical engineer, I'll probably be getting my degree in that come this next December, about a year from now; that is unless I switch, which I'm somewhat leaning towards. I heard we make excellent applicants though, with our courseload being as you probably know, very demanding. Glad to see you've found dentistry. I'm sure they'll ask me at my interview after I apply, "why the chemical engineering?" To be honest, I haven't found a real good answer to this, being that I knew I wanted to go into dentistry since my freshman year in college. Hmmm, gotta start working on that, I guess it always makes for a good back up...and I'm interested in it. Good luck.

 

[aphistis]

Hi CuRy - welcome to SDN! 👍 I am not familiar with the state of Tennessee so I am not sure if you are required to have a certificate inorder to work as a dental assistant (a degree is necessary, however, if you want to be a hygenist). I know that in my home state (Idaho) a certificate was not required and thus I was able to volunteer as dental assistant. The pay for such a position undoubtldy compares to what you were earning as a chemical engineer. If you are able to make ends meet with such earnings then working for your friend would be a great situation as you will gain valuable experience in a dental environment. If not, then working on the side for your friend or continuing to shadow him would also be just as great (experience is experience). Best of luck!

Just a minor quibble: In both dentistry, hygiene--heck, even medicine--it's not your *degree* that allows you to practice, it's your *license.* That's why new dental grads who fail licensure exams, even with their DDS/DMD firmly in hand, still have to wait until they can retake & pass before they're allowed to practice.

 

[dentb'lore]

Hi Hona,
i have an interview as an dental assistant..
could u plz tell me wt they might ask me...as this is my first interview..and abt the dress code..to the interview.iam from india...
plz help me...thanks in advance..

I have been working as a dental assistant since May. I live in Florida and you do not need an assistant's certification. I take x-rays and pretty much do everything but cut teeth. My boss even lets me use the high speed handpiece in the mouth to adjust temporary crowns. I am going to UF next year and feel that working as an assistant put me a step above the rest of the candidates. I am 34 years old.
hona

 

[Ozzman]

hey anyone know what it takes to become a Dental Assistant in California? i have time before i need to apply to dental school, and want to start working on my app beefing now and think being a dental assistant would be rather nice on my application. plus i want to get a job, and think this would be much better then something that wont help me later on..

 

[hona]

Dentb'lore
when I was interviewed, they asked me if I knew how to work as part of a team and stressed the team atmosphere. My boss knew I wanted to be a dentist and that I was willing to learn everything --- even down to filing insurance claims and presenting patients with 30,000 of full mouth treatment. I think anytime you present yourself as enthusiastic toward being a dental assistant, many dentists are impressed. It is very hard for dentists to find assistants that care about learning and doing good work. Most assistants have a 9 month certficate and just a high school education --- it makes them view their job as very "dead end" --- so they never end up caring much about their work. The dentist you work for should be excited that you want o learn the job as much as you do.

 

[aceking]

Hi Cury

i think that dent. assis. programs that are 1yr long is probably not what u are looking for. If you look i bet ya that there is shorter ones. However, i think that RDA(registered dental assistant) looks much better and allows you to do more things assisting a dentist. Make sure that you get your x-ray lic. asap. I know that there are many irresponsable dentists that lets dental assis. w/o lic. to take x-rays....whatevers though. there are programs that are like 3days long to get your lic. in Cali. for the x-ray.

most of the states dont require a lic to be a DA; therefore, everyone can say i worked or volunteered as a DA, but if u are trying to go that extra mile to improve your app. then i would definetely go for RDA.

good luck

 

[aceking]

hey anyone know what it takes to become a Dental Assistant in California? i have time before i need to apply to dental school, and want to start working on my app beefing now and think being a dental assistant would be rather nice on my application. plus i want to get a job, and think this would be much better then something that wont help me later on..

i believe that there is something called coastline ROP that has DA and RDA programs. they are only a few months longs

good luck