Dental assisting is a rewarding profession. A dental assistant supports practicing dentists and their patients as part of a dental team. It is critical to understand the nature of the learning process, the licensing or certifying process, and the role of a dental assistant when looking for educational paths to become a dental assistant. In terms of education, dental assistant online classes are typically only available to currently employed dental assistants as a means of obtaining continuing education credits. Consider accreditation first and foremost when selecting the best dental assistant classes, whether online or in a traditional classroom setting.
Accreditation in education is merely a means of providing a system with checks and balances that would otherwise be flawed. A governing or accrediting organization typically collaborates with licensing or certifying boards in most allied health professions. The overall process ensures that health care providers can distinguish between the most useful, productive, and professional prospective hires and those who have received insufficient training or preparation. While licensing and certification processes differ from state to state, and even country to country, the most important thing to do before enrolling in any dental assistant online classes, courses, or programs is to double-check the validity of any dental assistant online classes, courses, or programs you’re considering.
Like many other allied health programs, dental assisting requires a combination of lab and clinical practice hours. As a result, finding dental assistant online classes may not always be possible. Some institutions may offer a few required core classes online, but lab and clinical hours will always be required and must be completed on campus at a designated facility. If you come across dental assistant online classes that claim to be entirely online, you should check with the accrediting institution for your state or country to verify the program and its curriculum.
While online dental assisting classes may not be possible or appropriate for career training, online continuing education classes are certainly available. Check with the appropriate certifying or licensing board for your area to find approved dental assistant online classes for continuing education credit. To keep a certificate or license current, continuing education (CE) credits are usually required. Topics covered in dental assisting online CE classes include sanitization, radiology, and even smoking cessation. Make sure an approved class meets your current license or certification requirements.
Before going into dental assisting as a career, it’s important to know the difference between a dental assistant and a dental hygienist. Both titles have different clinical responsibilities, and they are not the same job. Dental hygienists are trained to perform duties without the supervision of a dentist and typically require more education and clinical experience than a dental assistant.