Dental Assistant: Career Requirements

For a person completing a Dental Assistant program, it can be both exciting and fulfilling at the same time. Dental assistants perform a wide variety of tasks for thier employer including preparing dental lab supplies as well as assiting the dentist in some procedures. They can also put nervous patients at ease. This is a chance to explore the opportunities in the field of dentistry. Most states do not require for you to be licensed, however, having your certification can go a long way towards giving you an edge over the competition when it comes to a job. Along with having an edge on finding a job you may also find that being certified will afford you the opportunity for better pay than if you were not certified.

The standards for Certified Dental Assistants are set by the Dental Assisting National Board. The CDA test is made up of three parts. The first part is the General Chairside which consist of 120 multiple choice questions and the questions are made up of basic Dental Assistant fundamentals, the second part known as the Infection Control segment also is written and consist of 100 multiple choice questions covering various diseases and the prevention and risk of said diseases. The last part is the Health and Safety section and is made up of 100 common sense questions related to Dental Assistant.

In order to prepare for your exam you will need to review your textbooks and all of your notes, in addition it is a good idea for you to purchase a CDA study guide. Another good idea might be to form a study group. The internet also has many practice tests that you can take for free. When it comes time for you to take your exam you can either take it written or choose to take the computerized form that way you are comfortable with the method that best suites you.

In order to ensure you have the best chance on your exam try to schedule it for as close as you can after finishing your Dental Assistant Program. The best time to take your exam is while all of the information is still fresh in your mind, and you are still in learning mode which might reduce the amount of anxiety you might experience. One of the drawbacks to waiting too long to take the exam is that the longer you wait the lower your score might be along with the fact that if you get employed before you take the exam you might decide to not take the exam.

In some states if you are certified to be a Dental Assistant then you can perform certain dental procedures, which makes your value to a dental office that much more greater, and this will encourage employers to hire you over someone who is not certified. You will not be limited to simply standing aside the dental chair as the dentist performs a procedure. The cost for the CDA varies by each state, and are usually held monthly your instructor should be able to give you a schedule of when the exam is being held.

So as you can see there are many benefits to becoming a Certified Dental Assistant, and really no good reason not to become one.