50+ Lifestyles

Dental Assistant Recognition Week

Carole Ferch, RDH, I-Smile Silver Coordinator
Scott County Health Department

When visiting the dentist, the first person to greet you is often not the dentist at all – instead it’s their friendly dental assistant. A valuable member of the dental team, dental assistants perform a wide range of tasks requiring both interpersonal and technical skills.

“To understand the value of dental assistants, one only needs to think back to their time in dental school when we worked primarily without any assistants,” said Dr. Mike Franzman, owner of Quad Cities Periodontics. “Appointments took longer, were more stressful and the need to work with direct vision all the time led to poor posture and a sore back.”

Dental assistants help the dentist at chairside and also polish teeth, take and develop dental radiographs, mix materials and sterilize instruments. Some assistants even manage the office and patient accounts, schedule appointments and purchase supplies.

“A good, well-educated dental assistant will not only allow you to physically perform your job better, but they are also an important emotional support for anxious patients,” Dr. Franzman said. “Patients will tell dental assistants things that they sometimes don’t want to tell the doctor directly, or are embarrassed to admit. The information my assistant gathers helps me to better tailor my communication to the specific needs of the patient.”

Dental Assistants may seek career opportunities in private dental offices, research, teaching, clinics, hospitals, sales and insurance claims and specialty practices such as orthodontics, pediatric dentistry, periodontics, endodontics and oral surgery. Earning a dental assisting diploma requires specialized training, which is provided locally by Scott Community College.

The Scott Community College Dental Assisting program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association (ADA), an accrediting body recognized by the Council on Post-Secondary Accreditation Board by the United States Department of Education.

Graduation from an accredited program is almost always stipulated by state law and is an eligibility requirement for licensure and/or certification examinations. Graduates of the Scott Community College Dental Assisting program are Registered Dental Assistants under the Iowa Dental Board and are eligible to sit for the Dental Assisting National Board Exam.

“A program that educates dental assistants needs to be well-rounded in teaching both chairside dental assisting, as well as soft skills like maintaining eye contact, showing compassion and empathy, and communication. The program at Scott Community College does a great job at this, and I’m proud to be a part of it!” Dr. Franzman said.

Employment of dental assistants is expected to grow by 31 percent from 2010 to 2020, much faster than the average for all occupations. Ongoing research linking oral health and general health will continue to increase the demand for preventive dental services. As dental practices grow, more dental assistants will be needed.

For more information on Scott Community College’s Dental Assisting Program, visit eicc.edu/dentalassisting or call 1-888-336-3907.

Carole Ferch, RDH is I-Smile Silver Coordinator at the Scott County Health Department, 600 W. 4th St., Davenport, Iowa 52801-1030. She can be reached at (563) 326-8618, ext. 8258.