If you’re interested in becoming a dental assistant, you’re in for a dynamic, multi-faceted career where your skills after training will be in high demand. Level II dental assistants tend to focus on intra-oral duties (working in patient’s mouths) such as taking and developing X-rays, polishing teeth and crowns, applying fluoride, and much more. Level I dental assistants are responsible for several extra-oral duties that keep dental clinics organized, profitable, and safe.
To launch a successful dental assistant career, start with a reputable education program that prepares you to meet the demands of a modern dental office. Our program covers all of the key principles and competencies of dental assisting and provides students with opportunities to hone their skills in a practicum. Keep reading to discover some administrative roles you’ll perform after completing your dental assistant diploma at Discovery Community College.
1. Support Health and Safety by Sterilizing and Maintaining Equipment
As a dental assistant, preventing the spread of disease will be one of your principle objectives. Sterilizing equipment and instruments is one extra-oral duty you’ll perform regularly to keep the dental clinic clean and safe. In training, you will be introduced to infection control methods and get time to practice proper cleaning and preparation techniques. After dental assistant training, you may also be responsible for setting up instrument trays, preparing various materials, and ensuring that sterile tools are available to dentists throughout procedures.
2. Invoice Patients After Dental Assistant Training
As a level I dental assistant, you’ll likely be responsible for various office management tasks. These duties include scheduling appointments, patient communications, and maintaining patient records. You’ll likely be responsible for invoicing patients using medical billing software at the end of a dental appointment. This task will require you to pay close attention to detail, understand medical codes, use your data entry skills, and exercise solid problem-solving skills if you encounter patient payment issues. The forty-hour dental administration course will introduce you to the above mentioned tasks, leaving you prepared to manage dental office management confidently.
3. Teach Patients About Oral Hygiene
Healthcare professionals must support public health. Often, this involves educating patients on preventative measures for avoiding certain infections and diseases. A rewarding aspect of your dental assistant career will be to teach your patients about proper dental hygiene methods. Many dental assistants use visual aids like 3D models and posters to walk patients through hygiene best practices. Patients like to know how they can take charge of their oral health. Using the vast knowledge base you’ll accumulate in our dental assistant courses, you will be fully prepared to share valuable information with patients and positively impact public health.
Are you ready to start your dental assistant diploma?
Contact Discovery Community College to learn more!