September 26, 2024
A great smile can change a person’s life. A dental assistant is someone who works alongside a dentist to provide those smiles. If you chose this career, you could make smiles every day!
Dental assistants are in high demand and short supply, especially after the pandemic.
“This is a career that people tend to stay in,” said Jamie Klap, program director. “After the COVID-19 pandemic, many people retired or decided to stay home with their children. That has left a lot of openings in dental offices and clinics, and a shortage of people to fill them.”
A dental assistant serves as the second set of hands for a dentist. An assistant helps with fillings, extractions, braces, root canals and more. Although people with on-the-job training can do very simple tasks, a license is required in Michigan for dental assistants who want to perform more advanced functions.
Becoming a Registered Dental Assistant requires three steps. First, you need to earn a dental assisting certificate or associate degree from an accredited program. GRCC has both. Second, you need to pass your licensure exam. And third, you apply to become registered as a dental assistant through the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA).
While that might sound complicated, the whole process does not take very long.
“A student can complete the dental assisting certificate at GRCC in about 10 months,” Klap said. “Our program involves basic classwork, but students spend the majority of their time practicing in dental offices. Our students complete 300 total externship hours at two or three dental offices, and have extensive real life experience working with patients.”
Here is the best news.
“We work with a variety of dental offices,” Klap said. “Many offices are looking to hire trained dental assistants. That’s why they choose to bring our students in for externship rotations. Students often receive a job offer after completing their externship rotations.”
Dental assisting is an excellent option for people who have empathy, initiative, good memorization skills, are proactive and have an ability to think ahead. Those skills, along with GRCC’s program, are a winning combination.
“GRCC has the only accredited dental assisting program in West Michigan,” Klap said. “The next closest accredited programs are about two and half hours away. Our dental assisting program does not have any pre-program requirements, meaning a student can start right after graduating high school. We have excellent, experienced faculty and longstanding partnerships with many local dental offices and clinics. Our students finish the program with skills that are in high demand.”
From a financial perspective, dental assisting can be a highly affordable path to a career with lifelong potential. There are scholarship opportunities through GRCC as well as through dental organizations and foundations. For students 21 or older, the Michigan Reconnect Scholarship could cover the cost of tuition for this training.
GRCC is also a perfect choice for people who have extensive on-the-job training. GRCC is one of only two programs in the state that will credit work experience as part of the dental assisting program requirements. A certified dental assistant simply needs to attend GRCC for one semester to learn the more advanced procedures and then sit for the licensing boards exam to become a Registered Dental Assistant.
Klap shared that the dental assisting program is great for students who are recent high school graduates, those waiting to start the dental hygiene program, or those who are eager to work with the public in a health care setting.
“Dental assisting is a wonderful career opportunity that you can start quite quickly,” Klap said. “It offers flexibility, variety, and the choice of full- or part-time employment, depending on what fits your lifestyle.”
Learn more about GRCC’s dental assisting program.
This story was reported by Julie Hordyk.