Exciting Support Positions in the Dental Industry
Every dentist’s office has at least one hygienist or dental assistant, and most have multiple people in these positions. Thanks to the high number of dental offices, this means that there are plenty of opportunities for those with the right skills. Those skills can be learned when students enter a program at a Fort Collins dental college.
It is important to note that this sort of dental college isn’t the same as the multi-year dental schools that dentists attend. These programs are much shorter and more tightly focused on mastery of a specific aspect of the trade. A dental career college allows students to earn certification in several disciplines. Students can work towards certification as dental assistants, hygienists, and other support staff.
Typically, there are three levels of education available. A dental assisting diploma is the minimum graduates receive, and it teaches how to do things like take x-rays, polish teeth, and help the dentist as procedures take place. This certificate also includes education in CPR, which is a bonus that some offices may find valuable.
The degree program takes these skills a step further and adds training in the use of an external defibrillator, more first aid instruction, and training in avoiding blood-borne pathogens. While jobs attained with a degree are likely to be much the same as those that can be gotten with a certificate, some dentist’s offices will appreciate the extra general health training enough to give the degree-holder a leg up over the person who only has the certificate.
Someone who wants to get into a supervisory position will do well to choose the dental office administration program, which trains students in office, billing, and managerial skills as well as in the hands-on aspects of assisting. Typically, an office will hire just one or two of these people, but once the job has been secured, the administrator can look forward to days filled with multiple duties. The office administrator is also the person the lower staff will look to for answers to their questions as well as general guidance.
