What Do You Learn In Dental Assisting School?

As a dental assistant, you will be indispensable in helping the dental office function smoothly and providing patients with quality care. The professionals in this field can experience job satisfaction from helping people achieve and maintain healthy smiles. 

However, before you get a dental assistant job, you need to start with training in a dental assisting program. So, what exactly will you learn during your time in dental assisting school? Let’s explore.

Core Competencies

The core curriculum of dental assisting school is designed to help equip you with skills and knowledge for your future dental assistant job. Among these are:

Clinical Skills

Patient care: Learn how to prepare patients for treatments, assist dentists during procedures, and provide post-operative care instructions.
Sterilization techniques: Understand the importance of and methods for sterilizing dental instruments and maintaining a clean, safe work environment.
Dental procedures: Get hands-on experience with a variety of dental procedures, including taking impressions, performing X-rays, and assisting with fillings and extractions.

Administrative Duties

Scheduling and billing: Acquire the skills for scheduling appointments, managing patient records, and handling billing and insurance claims.
Office management: Learn the essentials of running a dental office smoothly, from inventory management to compliance with healthcare laws and regulations.

Specialized Knowledge

Beyond the basic competencies, dental assisting school dives deeper into areas critical for your success in the field.

Dental Anatomy and Physiology: Understand the structure and function of the teeth, mouth, and associated systems to better assist in diagnoses and treatment plans.
Radiology: Become proficient in both taking dental X-rays and understanding their results, a vital component of modern dental care.
Pharmacology: Gain knowledge about commonly used dental medications and anesthesia, enhancing your ability to assist in patient care and management.
Preventive Dentistry: Learn about the importance of and methods for promoting oral health and preventing dental disease.

Hands-On Experience

Clinical externships: Apply what you’ve learned in a real-world setting under the supervision of experienced professionals. This experience helps connect classroom learning and actual dental assisting.

Lab work: Practice creating prosthetic dental appliances and performing other lab tasks, further improving your technical skills.

Soft Skills Development

Being a successful dental assistant is not just about the technical and clinical competencies. You will also enhance your soft skills, including:

Communication: Effective communication with both patients and the dental team is vital.
Empathy: Understanding and empathizing with patients’ concerns and fears is a key part of providing exceptional care.
Teamwork: Learn the importance of working collaboratively with the dental healthcare team to ensure smooth, efficient patient care.

The Next Step?

If you’re ready to start your career as a dental assistant, PCI Health Training Center offers the education and practical training you need.

With a curriculum designed by industry professionals and hands-on externship placements, PCI is committed to guiding you into your dental assistant job.

Join the PCI dental assistant program today.

Read more about become a dental assistant:

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