dentalassistant

The dental assistant is the dentist's "right arm", taking on significant responsibility as a member of the dental health care team. Assistants greatly increase the efficiency of the dentist in the delivery of oral health care and are valuable members of the dental care team.

The duties of a dental assistant are among the most comprehensive and varied in the dental office. The dental assistant performs a wide range of tasks requiring both interpersonal and technical skills. In the state of California, there are three categories of dental assistants - the dental assistant, the Registered Dental Assistant and the Registered Dental Assistant in Extended functions. The RDA & RDAEF require licensing and the law determines which specific duties each auxiliaries can perform.

It takes a relatively short period of time to become a dental assistant. Dental assistants can receive their education and training in one of two ways:

• Through an academic program at a community college, vocational school, technical institute, or university.
• Through on-the-job training.

For a complete list of dental assisting educational programs please visit the State of California Committee of Dental Auxiliaries (COMDA) web site at: http://www.comda.ca.gov/courses.html#RDA