Howard Academy FAQ`s

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 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
What is a typical dental assistant salary?
How do I become a registered dental assistant?
Is there job security as a dental assistant?
What is the typical workday for a dental assistant?
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.