Working as a dental assistant is a rewarding and promising career. After attending a New Jersey dental school you will have the training required to work with a dentist in private practice or hospital conducting tasks such as taking x-rays, monitoring the patients vitals during procedures and assisting the dentist during a wide range of dental procedures.
Although many dentists provide hands-on training for their assistants, while in a New Jersey dental school you will learn the fundamentals for securing a job in a dental office. There are several options that provide education for a career as a dental assistant, including a certificate program or a degree program. The majority of certificate programs can be completed in about one year and an associate degree program can usually be completed in about two years, depending on the number pre-requisite courses you need to complete. The training programs include health pathology, oral anatomy, microbiology, dental terminology, infection control procedures and practice management. The programs will vary depending on whether you choose a certificate or a degree program.
When choosing a dental assistant program it is very important to select a program that is accredited as many dentists may not offer a position to graduates of a non-accredited program. If you are currently working and want to study through an online program, there are many programs available, but it is important to keep in mind that when you study online, you may be required to seek an internship at a local dental office in order to get the hands-on training you will need. Some dental assistant programs offer both online and classroom studies, which means you will take the bulk of your classes online and those that require personal instruction will be taught in the classroom. Many technical schools offer dental assistant programs that can be completed in a short period of time and they may offer job search assistance programs. Once you have completed the training program, you will have the basic knowledge require to find employment in a wide range of dental practices, such as family dentistry, cosmetic dentistry, orthodontics or pediatric dentistry.
