Dental assistants prepare equipment, clean teeth, and assist dentists. Interns combine on-the-job training with classroom instruction and work under direct supervision. Some dentists hire high school graduates as trainee assistants. Formal training sessions are available, and licensing requirements vary by location.
A dental assistant prepares surgical equipment, cleans teeth, and assists a dentist in performing a variety of other tasks. Someone who works as a dental assistant intern performs the same basic duties as a qualified assistant, except that interns often combine on-the-job training with classroom instruction. In many counties, interns must work under the direct supervision of dentists, while experienced assistants often multitask when a dentist is not present.
Some dentists hire high school graduates to work as trainee assistants, and these individuals often handle clerical tasks such as making appointments and helping dentists who are treating patients. These individuals are usually given basic instructions to be able to recognize different types of surgical instruments. Prior to surgeries, the dental assistant trainee may be asked to sterilize the implements the dentist plans to use during surgery and the trainee may hand the equipment over to the dentist while the procedures are being performed. In most cases, a fully trained assistant will work closely with the intern to ensure that no mistakes are made that could delay the procedure.
Many dentists and health care providers partner with local colleges to provide formal training sessions for interns. In most cases, people who attend these sessions are capable of more complex tasks than entry-level workers who only receive on-the-job training. During classroom sessions, a dental assistant trainee is taught about the history of dentistry, dental treatments, oral infections and hygiene. In addition, interns receive on-the-job training, during which they are taught how to use teeth cleaning equipment and certain techniques, such as making impressions of teeth. These types of training programs can last for several months or years, depending on the complexity of the tasks a fully qualified assistant must perform.
Laws in some areas mean that dental assistants are not required to have professional credentials, but in other places dental assistants need to be licensed. In such cases, the dental assistant trainee must complete a certain number of hours of work under the supervision of a licensed assistant or dentist. Subsequently, the intern may be required to take a practical or written exam, during which the assistant’s ability to perform basic tasks and answer the patient’s questions is put to the test. A dental assistant trainee who successfully passes the examination process receives a license to practice. Although trained assistants can perform certain tasks without being under the direct supervision of a dentist, laws in most areas mean that assistants have to be affiliated with licensed dentists, meaning that these individuals cannot start their own dental businesses.
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