Hey everyone!! Today we talk about my job!! If you are interested in any other dental videos let me know down in the comments below. 😄 Follow me on instagram friends. CheyenneBuckalew
I agree a lot of people underestimate what we do and don’t realize how much work it actually is , I love being a dental assistant have been doing it for 3 years now.
I just started my job two weeks ago and graduated two weeks ago as well. I was told I’m too slow but they don’t notice everyone learns at their own pace which I was unlucky enough to be slow pace but I try very hard. It hasn’t even been a month. I hope to find a dentist out there who is patient and understands that...
What's so unfortunate about this field is that it's difficult to find doctors who are willing to be patient. So many of them look down on DA's and criticize them for the smallest things, which makes a lot of DA's leave the field, altogether. One of my best friends can't hold a job for more than 2 months because she isn't fast enough starting out. They let her go, then she gets hired at a new place, where she's slow again because she has to learn all new things (like placement of products, what doctor prefers, etc.). I can only imagine that eventually we will have a call to action for better treatment and better pay. I'm honestly surprised it hasn't happened already. I hope you got the hang of things and found a great place to work! I feel it's such a rarity nowadays.
I took a class my senior year in HS for Dental Careers (ROP class) and learned a lot about being a dental assistant, infection control, taking impressions and got my X-ray license. Now I have two job interviews next week and one of them said they’d be willing to train me since my resume shows I have a little training (which put me at ease a little.) I’m so excited to finally start my career in the Dental field! Your video helped a lot, thanks girl!
I feel woefully unprepared. I’m a brand new DA in Texas. My program lasted 3 months. When I first started working I understood how unprepared I was. Your videos are so helpful, so thank you for making all the DAs videos!
Im starting my training at school in october and your videos are really nice and helpful and its the first time that in actually excited abiut going to school and learn . Love your videos you seem like an awesome person to work with!
Thank you so much for your motivation I’m starting my dental assistant school February 28th it’s 3 months program and I hade some anxiety but now I feel better watching ur video ❤️
Ive been stressing for a while about dental hygienist school, because I have 2 young kids and not much of a support system. So I've been thinking about going for dental assistant then later after a few years I could always go back to school for dental hygienist. Was looking for videos to make sure it was worth it. Thank you for making this
Soumaya Sammie that’s a good idea and Most Dental assistants make anywhere between $14-$18 an hour depending on experience and where you work and sometimes more depending on specialty. Some dentists are just flat out cheap! I don’t know of any dentist that pays less than about $13 an hour for a new dental assistant. The dental assistance at that rate get promoted quickly and are making about $15 within a year or so. Dental hygienist are making it closer to $30 an hour! There’s a huge difference in pay. If you want to go to dental hygiene school, I would suggest going ahead and go get your dental hygiene without your dental assisting, but make sure that you take medical terminology in addition to anatomy and physiology one and two. Take medical terminology first with an English and a biology class so that you know what the words are when you get into anatomy and physiology. That’s a suggestion because I went TO RN school & we had medical terminology and do the calculations the second semester with anatomy and physiology two rather than the first semester. It would’ve been a lot easier have it been a prerequisite before classes started, but I attended a private school, I have my nursing degree but I wanted to learn about dental assisting so I took mine online and then did my clinical separately. If you have your children in school, go to class during the day because you’ll be out by around 5 o’clock on these you have clinical. The other days you could be home by two or three. I wish you the best! Just don’t feel like you have to settle for dental assisting when you really want to be a dental hygienist because they are two completely different fields & specialties and the pay is considerably different. When you work as an assistant you working for handed dentistry with the dentist and as a hygienist do you work alone. I think you’d like hygiene better. I’ve worked in nursing and I tried dental assisting, but I know where you’re coming from. Wait until you’re at a comfortable spot and realize that you’re always going to have challenges and be lacking support. I just say go for your dental hygiene because if you go for your dental assistant you’ll be like so many other LPNs that I know of that wanted to go to RN school but didn’t Because it would be a year worth of school and or some other reason. Go for what you’d really love to do!!
@@montereyharris1277 you are awesome! I know your words of encouragement was to the OP, but I couldn't leave this video without mentioning that. Are you still doing nursing?
pinKiwishimmerz no, not at all! With any program, there are challenges. You just have to manage your time and make time to study. But it wasn’t hard at all. I loved it. Radiology was the hardest class, but once you get it, it’s a piece of cake!
Haley Adams I wanted to do that but I don’t know if I have the nerves left to do it. I’m 51 and I need to focus on other things right now. Good luck to you!!
Monterey Harris In our class, we actually had a 58 year old with us! Anything is possible. I can not stress to you how easy school really was. I believe you can still do it if you really want to! Everyone in our class tried to help each other with everything.
I have RDA school starting next month. I've been a professional chef for 10 years and was injured on the job and forced to look for other work. I ended up shadowing a hygenist who also used to he a chef and straight up told me, "if you can handle a a 5 star fine dining chef and high volume cooking, you can handle dental offices and their staff. I think the only thing you may need to work on is you can't tell anyone to f*** off. If you can accomplish that you will do amazing in this field." 🤣🤣🤣🤣 it gave me so much confidence.
@@lisahall4209 will you be getting a job in a dental practice prior to going to college ? Here in the UK you have to have some dental surgery experience/a trainee dental assistant job secured before you can do the course. I'm a month in, don't start the course till November. It's very difficult. I'm in my late 30s and feel I'm not able to retain the information. I'm in fight or flight mode right now because the whole thing is overwhelming and my instinct is to run !
In my high school ( trade school ) our dental assisting program trains us to be CDA. Freshman who get into it learn about the teeth and etc. Sophomores learn infection control and take a college level exam. Juniors do clinical rotations and seniors do co op ( go out and work in their field for money during school )
I was a dental assistant for 10 months & I absolutely loved it but I had to work with a new dentist about 8 months in and we just didn’t ‘click’ like you said & im absolutely devastated.. there were no other opportunities there for me so I had to hand in my notice ... it was really hard working 1 on 1 with someone you didn’t get along with 😭 loved the job though😍
Your videos are just so helpful im starting my schooling for dental assistant and I’m so excited! Your videos are so detailed and informative and I just love youuuuu for this 😩😩♥️
This is really helpful. I actually got my bachelors degree in something unrelated but I can’t see my self doing any of the jobs with it. For some reason being a dental assistant really has been peaking my interest and in my state formal education isn’t required. I’m still thinking about getting certified though.
From a fellow RDA...great info!! Which state are you in? I'm in CA, we don't have a cert for soft relines but I do have the sealants and ultrasonic scaler certs.
Pros: Dental assistant room for growth with lots of certifications, 3 years, good money, always a job, easy to find a job, other fields to go into, helping people Cons: hard work, lots of cleaning and sanitizing, constantly hunched over, tough on the body
I’m going to become a dental assistant soon! but if you don’t mind me asking how much was your first check? I know every office is different but I’m just looking for a estimate 😌 i haven’t found a video where they exactly say 😩
I'm a former dental assistant. I want to start off by saying I did enjoy dental assisting for the most part. I definitely enjoyed working at the dental office I worked at. The dentist I worked for was so nice which plays a big factor. I've heard some dental assistants have had terrible experiences due to not liking where they worked. I did dental assisting right after graduating college. In my opinion it was cool to do but i'm not sure how it would be for a long time career. For example I wasn't a RDA so I didn't go to school for it. Cause in NJ you don't have to be an RDA to work as an assistant. So when I worked I did basically everything a RDA would do but did not do x rays since I did not have my license. The pay wasn't very good but who knows maybe a RDA would make more or maybe if I had my x-ray license. I do agree though there are a lot of job opening for dental assisting though. But also it can be hard to get benefits in the dental field. I've also heard dental hygiene is better since I see comments about it in the comment section and the money is good but it can be tough to find full time and benefits. But the dental field can definitely be a good experience and career just have to find the right fit. I enjoyed myself while working in it.
I have a question. Would you attend a dental assisting school that is not CODA certified? I'm thinking about going to school for dental assisting, the school I would have to pay out of pocket for. The school has mixed reviews. Some people say they struggled finding a job once they finished because dental offices are saying they don't have enough experience and the school isn't CODA certified. I don't wanna waste money. But Its the only school in safe driving distance I can go to that offers it.
After 9 years of assisting for the same office I quit , it is a lot of work and I was in charge of the back it is very stressful our office is open 5 days a week and slowly I cut my own days . We don’t get valued a lot here in California these dentist are so arrogant. Since I left that office I had 3 job offers from other offices but I refuse to go back just yet . Please new dental assistants work on your chair side manners. I trained so manny ungrateful newbies and please own up to your mistakes the dentist value more your honesty then you giving them a bs excuse .
Dental assistants are not appreciated.. I agree, dentist are very arrogant... most dentist do not want to pay you what your worth... I say skip dental assisting and become a hygienist
Here up in Canada up North, you don’t need to go to school for Dental Assistant they put you straight into the field and teach you from there 😅 I’m aboht to start working next week there and I have no experience so I’m just digging whatever I can find so thank you for your videos!
HI!!! THIS IS ME TOO!! I'm starting next week, I was a beauty therapist for the last 8 years, going into a private clinic with no experience !! How are you getting on? Was it difficult ?
I just graduated DA school and I needed to hear this. I started in a pedo office and it was just super hard right off the back. Although I know I love my job, I just have to find my place :)
I didn’t need to go to school for it, I’m 2 weeks in at a private practise, I won’t get a cert in asssiting but that’s ok, I don’t get to wear scrubs :( I wear black pants and the dental clinic shirt
I went to dental assisting school for six weeks. I'm constantly nervous that I'm gonna start a job and mess up. I will never suggest that anyone takes the six week program to be honest.
I started from a program with 10 weeks. I highly recommend that if anyone does choose a short program.. make sure to do your hours at an office while going to school or go to an office that is willing to train you. I jumped into an office scared, nervous and clueless. The doctors expected me to know things that I was only introduced to in books and once hands-on. 8 months in and I love it! It took me 2 offices to finally find a team that is fitting for my speed of growth. Good luck!
Please, should I take orthodontist assisting classes first or dental assisting first and then orthodontist assisting training classes???? Please I need your help....It's important..help me!!?,🙏🙏🙋♀️🙏🙏🙏
I’m currently a senior in high school and I’m really thinking about going into dental assisting, would you recommend a university or a community college for the schooling??
Amelia Danielle you don’t go to a university for dental assisting. You can do community or go to a local dental assisting program for like $2000-3000. You get a certificate. If I were your do hygiene.. don’t do dental assisting. I’ve been doing it for 5 years and I hate it. Drs are brats. Ppl look down on u. And the most you can make is 20 as a da. I’m in California and I make $19. Lucky me. But if you’re a rda you can make maybe 23 if you’re lucky. Drs are cheap as hell.. no insurance and rarely no benefits .go to RN or LVN.
There’s dental assisting programs in my area that are only 12 weeks long. It’s the only schools in the area I can find. Does that seem like too short of a time? I want to enroll later this year 🤔
I’m 42 and I’ve been mostly a stay at home mom. I also wait tables part time. Im in decent shape and healthy...do you think 42 is too old to start schooling for dental assisting? Thank you.
hey guys! I need help! I’m a junior in highschool and i want to be a pediatric dental assistant. Maybe I misunderstood but I thought dental assistants main jobs were cleaning teeth and taking x-rays. Is this the case or is there more I should know? Thanks for your help!
Hey! An expanded functions dental assistant can only clean teeth on 12 and under. Also yes you will be taking xrays but you’ll also be assisting the dentist during dental procedures. Also you may have other tasks such as sterilizing instruments and chart notes. 😄
No your main job as an assistant is assisting the dentist. Hygienists main jobs are, cleaning teeth, scaling and root planing, sealants, anesthesia, etc. In some states assistants can polish floss, place sealants etc.
Hey! a soft reline is a soft liner that you place into dentures or partials. It is to help with the retention of the denture. Assistants with a certification can do this because it is a temporary liner. :)
In Georgia there are so many schools offering 10-12 week courses for around $3500 and they claim to be accredited, does this sound right to you? Did you have any co-workers from these type of schools?
I have worked with someone from an accredited program. I’m Not sure what kind of credentials you need in Georgia for dental assisting. Before paying for any program though, I would ask what certifications you are leaving with. Some programs only offer you a “dental assisting certificate” but you’re not radiology certified or anything like that. Which is not worth it to me.
No 10- 12 week programs do not certify you. You may get a certificate, but you will still have to become nitrous certified and x ray certified. You basically can suck spit. You will not legally be able to do much of anything. Be careful. 18 year Registered Dental Hygienist.
Make sure you get to do things HANDS ON!!! I’m about to graduate from an accredited 9 1/2 month program at the same price. The extra time is worth it because a lot of 10-12 wk programs don’t let you actually take xrays or impressions!! Like Cheyanne said, always ask what you will be getting out of the program!! I will also have my Nitrous certification when I graduate!
Sookie Stackhouse I’m in Georgia and about to start the 12 week course at the Atlanta school . They’re accredited and there’s a lot of these schools through GA because you Do NOT need to be certified to work as a dental assistant in GA. Anyone off the street can apply for a DA in GA . So that’s why GA offers these classes but The certification is only good for the state of GA.
I’m a dental assistant and the best way is to pay 425 for the CDA exam. Covers the radiology safety exam and the infection control exam, & finally the chair side assisting. All exams are given on three separate days and there is one price for the total exam package. First exam to take is always radiology b/c ALL Dentist want their dental assistance to be radiology certified. Some want a year or two experience but the main thing is that they want that Radiology certification!! It takes a lot of practice in every office is different. Every dentist is different. I was an RN and I wanted something different to do after I herniated my back & neck. My dentist is a regular dentist as well as a dental surgeon. I even had my dental implants done there. OUCH!! I had six at one time so that can be quite painful. It’s a lot to learn and thankfully I had already been to nursing school so the medical terminology and anatomy was a lot easier for me than it would’ve been for anyone else walking through the door. If you’re planning to study anything in the health field, while you’re taking prerequisite classes like English and ethics, please take medical terminology in addition to anatomy and physiology because anatomy and physiology 1& 2 are going to be required anyway. Most colleges require at least two years of English three years of higher math in addition to biology chemistry or physics, two years of each ( basically either biology one in biology 2, or chemistry one in chemistry to, etc..) to year of science and and year of English, in addition to taking a year of anatomy and physiology but it’s best before the program even starts. The dental anatomy and physiology is really kind of weird and different from nursing. Thought it was the strangest thing but once I got it in my head and I remembered it I got it.
Pros - if your a female you will get the job Cons - if your a guy will be thrown under the bus, your spot is already reserved for a female Seen it lived it.
