Certification is available through the Dental Assisting National Board. Certification is an acknowledgment of an assistant's qualifications and professional competence, but is not usually required for employment. In several States that have adopted standards for dental assistants who perform radiologic procedures, completion of the certification examination meets those standards. Candidates may qualify to take the certification examination by graduating from an accredited training program, or by having 2 years of full-time experience as a dental assistant. In addition, applicants must have current certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
Some dental assistants working the front office become office managers.
Others, working chairside, go back to school to become dental hygienists. More than 1 out of 3 worked part time, sometimes in more than one dental office. Almost all dental assistants work in private dental offices. Some work in dental schools, private and government hospitals, State and local public health departments, or in clinics. Job prospects for dental assistants should be good.