Missouri Dental Assistant Schools & Training Programs
A dental assistant’s (DA’s) job may involve a wide range of tasks, starting from helping a patient get adjusted in the dental chair to resolving billing and payment issues, apart from assisting the dentist with small chores during a dental procedure. Candidates with formal dental assistant training from a reputed institution will usually learn all the skills that may be necessary to carry out the job.
Several dental assistant schools in Missouri offer professional courses in cities like Kansas City, St. Louis, Springfield and others.
Dental Assistant Schools in Missouri (MO)
Everest College
Everest Colleges, Institutes and Universities provides postsecondary education programs that prepare students for careers in some of America’s fastest growing industries, including health care, business and technology. Everest takes a very personal approach to career education, offering small classes, intimate work groups and support systems designed to help students succeed both inside and outside the classroom. Even after students graduate, Everest’s Career Services department is there to provide ongoing career coaching and help locating local employment opportunities. Financial aid is available for those who qualify.
Campus
- Springfield
- Kansas City
- St. Louis
Programs
- Dental Assistant
Missouri College
For over 40 years, Missouri College in St. Louis, Missouri has given students the opportunity to obtain innovative, career-oriented training through our Business Administration, Health Care, and Massage Therapy program areas. We have helped prepare students for their initial journey into the workplace, as well as helped experienced professionals with career advancement.
Campus
- Brentwood
Programs
- Dental Hygiene
- Dental Assistant
Concorde Career College
With over 15 years of experience in preparing adults for rewarding careers, Concorde is a recognized leader in training Healthcare Professionals. We offer short, manageable programs with day and evening classes to fit your busy schedule.
Campus
- Kansas City
Programs
- Dental Assisting - (AAS)
- Dental Hygiene - (AAS)
- Dental Assistant - Diploma
Midwest Institute
GET TRAINED – GET SKILLED – GET WORKING: Midwest Institute has been successfully helping men and women achieve their goals since 1965. Our objective is to provide a strong educational program for persons with a sincere interest in their chosen field. Midwest Institute provides solid job placement for its students. Let us assist you in choosing the career path that best suits your aspirations and expectations.
Campus
- Earth City
Programs
- Dental Assisting
Dental Assisting in Missouri
The state laws broadly define the dental assistant job description in order to bring more uniformity into the type of tasks that a dental assistant may perform on the job. With the given parameters, the job description may still vary slightly from one dental facility to another within the same state. In a competitive job market, it can provide an added edge to a candidate to acquire formal education and training from one of the recognized Missouri dental assistant schools.
Where the state law permits, a dental assistant may have to perform certain specialized tasks such as assisting in the dental lab to fabricate crowns, producing casts of a patient’s teeth, processing X-ray images, and other such tasks. The assistant may have to work directly under the direction of the dentist in such situations.
In any case, almost all dental assistants still have to perform the common tasks of helping the patient and the dentist before, during, and after a dental procedure. Sometimes the dental assistants may even carry out tasks such as applying fluoride or sealant to the patient’s teeth. Reputed Missouri dental assisting schools will usually equip the candidates for all such tasks that the dental assistants are likely to perform on the job. Certainly a DA can also be the one who cleans and flosses your teeth as well before the dentist is available.
Missouri Dental Assistant Training
Formal training from one of the top dental assisting schools in Missouri will help a candidate acquire better jobs and become adjusted on the job more quickly. Some states have made it mandatory under the law to clear an exam for dental assistant certification before a candidate becomes eligible for the job of a dental assistant.
The certification requirement is substituted with on-the-job training requirement in certain states. If the candidate has completed high school education and received a minimum duration of on-the-job training as a dental assistant, he or she becomes eligible for employment in this position. In any case, it is usually a good idea to obtain formal training from one of the well-established dental assistant schools in Missouri.
Missouri Dental Assistant Salary
The median dental assistant salary in May 2010 stood at $33,470 a year, as per the statistics provided by the BLS. In terms of hourly pay, this figure comes to $16.09 an hour. The highest earning 10 percent of the job holders received an annual pay in excess of $47,090 during May 2010, while the lowest earning 10 percent dental assistants received an annual pay of $22,680 or lower during the same period.
To achieve a higher pay in this competitive field, it may help to receive formal education from one of the top dental assistant schools in Missouri. More than 60 percent of the candidates in this field take up full time jobs as dental assistants. If the candidate is keen to attain admission to one of the leading Missouri dental assistant schools, it is advisable to check the eligibility requirements well in time and prepare accordingly. All you can do in an ongoing recession is work hard and try to put yourself in a position that offers you the best chance of success.
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