Becoming a dental assistant is a fulfilling and rewarding career path with flexible hours and strong job growth predicted. In fact, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment of dental assistants is projected to grow 7% through 2032, faster than the average for all occupations, with a median annual wage of $46,540. Obtaining your dental assistant certification is your first step towards providing comfort and education for patients—and the online Clinical Dental Assistant course will prepare you to become a productive and successful member of a dental team.
This comprehensive and in-demand online clinical dental assistant program helps equip you for career success—with no previous experience necessary! You will learn essential aspects of professional dental assisting, including invaluable real-world perspectives from experienced dental assistants and essential information about anatomy and physiology, preventive dentistry, patient care and communication, radiology, pharmacology, anesthesia, assisting in specialty practices, employment strategies, and much more. You will also explore the basics of maintaining computerized clinical dental records using Dentrix Practice Management software.
After completing this dental assistant certification training, you will have the opportunity to apply for a clinical experience, through which you will get real-life clinical assistant experience. You will also be ready to pursue certification as a clinical dental assistant, including the radiology, infection control, and anatomy and physiology portions of the Dental Assisting National Board examinations – NELDA or CDA. Once you have gained clinical experience and in-person hours, you will be prepared for the general assisting exam and achieve your dental assistant certification.
Clinical Dental Assistant Experience
Students have the option to directly seek employment after the completion of this clinical dental assistant course or take advantage of the opportunity to participate in ed2go's optional clinical experience program. The application for the clinical experience program is within the course. You must be 80% complete within the course before you are eligible to reach out to the clinical experience coordinator for program information. As a Clinical Dental Assistant program student, you have up to 6 months after course completion to apply, but please note clinical experiences are not guaranteed. If you meet all the educational, pre-screening checks, and industry qualifications, including a completed application package, you will be considered for placement based on host site availability. NATIONAL ENTRY LEVEL DENTAL ASSISTANT, NELDA, CERTIFIED DENTAL ASSISTANT, CDA, AND DANB are trademarks of the Dental Assisting National Board, Inc (DANB). This clinical dental assistant course is not reviewed or endorsed by DANB.
To qualify for the clinical experience application process, students must successfully complete the online course and ensure their account balances are current (at a minimum). It is important to note that ed2go cannot guarantee placement at any clinical site, and students must take full responsibility for fulfilling their clinical requirements. However, our affiliated partnerships can increase the likelihood of finding a site that matches student needs. Students can begin researching the steps of the application process two weeks before completing courses.
Voucher Information
Upon successful completion of this clinical dental assistant course, you will receive vouchers to sit for the Anatomy, Morphology, and Physiology (AMP), Infection Control (ICE), and Radiation Health and Safety (RHS) portions of the Dental Assisting National Board examinations. The exams meet 3 of 3 exam requirements for the NELDA certification and 2 of 3 exam requirements for the CDA. If you already have 3,500 hours of clinical exp |