Howard Healthcare Academy

A rewarding dental career starts here!

Text / Call us Now
619.ACADEMY (619-222-3369) Call Us Text Request Info

Dental Assistant & Dental School Frequently Asked Questions

The dental assistant career path is both rewarding and challenging. A position as a dental assistant is a great fit for anyone looking to earn more, interact with patients and medical professionals, and get started working in the dental field. If you are looking to learn more about being a dental assistant, you’ve come to the right place. On this page, our healthcare professionals at Howard Academy provide answers to frequently asked questions about the dental assistant profession and our very own award-winning Dental Assistant Program. Read on for a dental industry overview and get your questions about our Dental Assistant Program answered. Ready to enroll? Get started here.

FAQs About the Dental Assistant Career: Frequently Asked Dental Questions

Interested in learning more about the dental assistant career path? Curious about what life as a dental assistant looks like? If you have dental assistant-related questions, this section has your answers. Read on for frequently asked dental questions about the dental assistant profession, with answers provided by our healthcare professionals here at Howard Academy.

Questions About Being a Dental Assistant

Dental assistants are in high demand, which makes wages competitive. A dental assistant's salary is based on where in the U.S. they are employed. California’s annual average salary is $44,940 while Minnesota has the highest annual salary of nearly $54,000 per year. Overall, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that as of 2020, dental assistants nationwide earned an average annual wage of $42,310, with an average hourly wage of $20.34.

The average wage for dental assistants depends on a few things other than geography, including years of experience, the number of certifications, and the employer.
Becoming a dental assistant is a popular career choice because it doesn’t require years and years of education and training. The dental assistant program at Howard Healthcare Academy offers several certificate classes, all approved by the Dental Board of California. At Howard Healthcare Academy, you can get your dental assistant certificate in as little as 10 months. There are board-approved courses taught by dental professionals for work in general dentistry or a specialty dentist's office. Some of the certifications include:
  • California Dental Practice Act (2 hours)
  • 8-Hour Infection Control (8 hours)
  • CPR (4 hours)
  • Coronal Polish (12 hours)
  • Radiation Safety (32 hours)
  • Pit and Fissure Sealants (16 hours)
Become a dental assistant by completing a diploma or certificate program. You can choose to become state-certified or nationally certified. To get a State certification, you must take a state-administered exam to earn the credential of RDA. To become nationally certified, you'll need to pass the Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) exam, a competency examination administered through the Dental Assisting National Board.

Visit our website to enroll in the Howard Academy dental assistant program.
A successful dental office cannot function without a Dental Assistant, so this will continue to be a highly sought-after career for the foreseeable future. The dental field is growing at a rapid pace. U.S. News and World Report ranked orthodontists and dentists in the top 5 of the 100 Best Jobs. The BLS predicts an 11 percent job growth for dental assistants between 2020 and 2030, faster than for the average occupation. This job growth could result in 38,700 new jobs created.

There are around 44,000 job openings for dental assistants projected each year over the decade. Many of those openings are from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force.
The typical workday for a dental assistant is 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with some evenings and weekends.

Dental assistants start the day by reviewing the day’s schedule, preparing the examining room with the necessary tools and equipment and sterilizing instruments. They will also gather patients’ medical records as well as any necessary medical forms or papers.

Dental assistants play a big role in taking care of patients. They are responsible for taking them to the exam room for their appointment, reviewing charts, and prepping patients about what to expect. During dental procedures, a dental assistant hands the dentist instruments and helps keep the patient’s mouth rinsed. With a dentist’s guidance, dental assistants may also take x-rays and perform lab tests.

Dental assistants help restock supplies for the next patient, perform administrative duties and process the patient’s invoices.
Once you become a registered dental assistant, you have growth opportunities in dental hygiene or specialized dentistry such as endodontics, orthodontics, oral surgery, and pediatric dentistry.

Often, people will use Dental Assisting as a starting point for other careers in the healthcare industry. Some opportunities dental assistants will have to advance their career are:
  • Dental Hygienists
  • Dental Office Managers
  • Insurance Claims Processing & Coding professionals
  • Dentists
In these fields, you can earn up to $70,000 or more annually.
These days, dental assistants are in such high demand that they can work either full-time or part-time.

A dental assistant who needs a flexible work schedule can choose to work part-time in more than one dental practice with a schedule that is conducive to personal life and work balance.

There is a constant need for part-time and temporary assignments in dental practices. The benefit of working as a part-time dental assistant is you will learn new skills and improve existing skills by working with different dentists.

You can search for work opportunities as a dental assistant based on what type of schedule you want to work. Dental assistants can choose to work at one office or multiple offices to accommodate their personal schedule.

FAQs About Dental Assistant School at Howard Academy

Here at Howard Academy, we are proud to offer an approved Dental Assistant Program for students of all ages in Southern California. Through our Dental Assistant Program, you will learn skills and gain accreditation necessary to work as a dental assistant in any dental office. We emphasize hands-on learning, giving you extensive opportunities to practice your skills in a real dental office, thanks to our partnership with The Super Dentists, one of San Diego’s premier dental care providers. Together with our highly-trained instructors and excellent facilities, this hands-on learning approach sets our Dental Assistant program apart from others in the region.

Have questions about our Dental Assistant Program here at Howard Academy? Want to learn more about our courses and opportunities available to graduates of our program? Read on for FAQs about our Dental Assistant Program, with answers provided by our staff.

In Conclusion

Howard Healthcare Academy is a modern dental assistant school in San Diego. Our instructors are licensed, practicing dentists, registered dental assistants, and working dental personnel who train our students in a modern dental office with the newest technology for practical, real-world experience.

Howard Healthcare Academy offers students hands-on experience working alongside a professional dentist. Upon earning your dental assisting certificate at Howard Healthcare Academy, you can begin your career with confidence and be an immediate asset to the dental office that hires you.

For more information or a virtual tour of our Academy, visit us online.

Questions about Howard Healthcare Academy

Currently, Howard Healthcare Academy offers financial assistance through a third-party loan company. When you come in for your initial meeting with one of our Admissions Representatives, you will be guided through any available options that apply to you. If you choose the third-party loan, your Admissions Rep will help you complete the online application. Whether you qualify depends on your credit. You will know immediately if you qualify for the loan. Through the financial assistance loan program, students will have monthly payments determined by the third-party loan company. Howard Academy also participates in a scholarship program for military spouses and offers a 10% discount for military members.
Howard Healthcare Academy is dedicated to the success of each student. That includes helping you complete your dental assistant certification and finding gainful employment once you’ve graduated. Our affiliation with The Super Dentists will provide you with interviewing practice. You will experience what happens during an interview as well as receive feedback on how to present yourself in job interviews throughout your career. In addition, check out our blog for responses to common dental assistant interview frequently asked questions.
You can enroll to earn your dental assistant certification from Howard Healthcare Academy in San Diego whenever you are ready. Our curriculum is flexible so that our students don’t have to wait for months until a school year begins.
It takes as little as 10 months to earn your dental assistant certificate with Howard Healthcare Academy provided that all courses attempted are completed. During this time you will attend lectures, classes, labs, preclinical, clinical and an externship to give you real-world experience as a dental assistant. Time is split between classroom learning and hands-on, in-office practice. Our partnership with The Super Dentists offers you the opportunity to develop your skills in one of the industry’s finest professional dental office settings.
Yes, as part of the Howard Healthcare Academy program, you will receive hands-on training working in a real dental office. Through our partnership with The Super Dentists and affiliated dental practices within the San Diego community, Howard Healthcare Academy students receive practical experience by training on actual dental equipment and patients in a thriving pediatric and orthodontic dental practice.
Howard Healthcare Academy has a convenient San Diego location to make attending class easy for you. We are located in Kearny Mesa. Visit our Contact Us page for our address and phone number.
For your convenience, Howard Academy offers morning, afternoon and evening classes for dental assistant courses. Standalone courses are weekend classes. Please contact Howard Healthcare Academy at 1-619-ACADEMY (619-222-3369) to speak with one of our Admissions Representatives to discuss your current life schedule so we can best accommodate your educational needs.
Yes, Howard Healthcare Academy courses are approved by the Dental Board of California and our program is approved through the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education. Upon graduation and accreditation from our program, you will be qualified to work as a dental assistant in any dental office in California (and many other states).
Yes, you can earn your continuing education units (CEUs) at Howard Healthcare Academy. Please contact Howard Academy at 1-619-ACADEMY (619-222-3369) to speak with one of our Admissions Representatives about having everyone in your office attend continuing education at the same time to ensure your team is up to date with their certifications.
If you have a question that hasn’t been answered here, please visit our Contact Us page to ask your question. Or if you prefer, call 1-619-ACADEMY (619-222-3369) Monday to Friday from 8am–5pm. If we are busy helping other students, please leave a message. One of our Admissions Representatives will contact you with an answer to your question within two business days. Thank you for your interest in Howard Healthcare Academy.

Don’t See Your Question Here? Contact Us to Have Your Frequently Asked Dental Questions Answered

If you have a question that hasn’t been answered here, please visit our Contact Us page to ask your question. Or if you prefer, call 1-619-ACADEMY (619-222-3369) Monday to Friday from 8am–5pm. If we are busy helping other students, please leave a message. One of our Admissions Representatives will contact you with an answer to your question within two business days. Thank you for your interest in Howard Healthcare Academy.

Contact an
Admissions Rep

Call or Text: (619) ACADEMY (222-3369)
Monday to Friday 8am-5pm
619.222.3369

info@HowardAcademy.edu

Get More
Information

Schedule a Campus Tour

Howard Healthcare Academy - Dental Assistant School in San Diego CA

9737 Aero Drive, Suite #200
San Diego, CA 92123
TEXT or CALL:
(619) ACADEMY (222-3369)
info@HowardAcademy.edu

www.bppe.ca.gov/

Connect

Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube