Dental Assistant Programs in Louisiana
Providing medical and dental care to a community means ensuring that patients can get in when they need to be seen, get in on time, and have their concerns taken care of. For these goals to be met, medical professionals need a reliable staff of assistants.
Dental assistants take care of many of the most important duties in dental offices, including patient check-in, billing, cleanings, follow-up calls, and appointment scheduling.
If you are interested in getting established in this field, learn more by reaching out to dental schools in Louisiana below.
Dental Assistant Schools in Louisiana
By contacting local dental assisting programs, you can easily compare the wide variety of training options in Louisiana and find options that fit your schedule and career goals. With a certificate or diploma, you may be able to apply for entry-level dental assisting jobs and advance your career in the future.
You may also look into Associate’s degree programs. While it may take six months to one year to earn a diploma, it generally takes about two years to complete an Associate’s degree. Across programs at different levels and schools, you may find many overlapping educational topics and courses.
Class Options in Louisiana
- Dental Radiography
- Oral Histology
- Dental Health and Nutrition
- Orthodontics
- Patient Care in Dentistry
- Preventive Dentistry
- Tooth Form and Structure
- Chairside Assisting Techniques
Dental assistant schools in Louisiana focus heavily on hands-on experience. The time you spend working with licensed dental hygienists and dentists can help you improve your skills, find out how to offer excellent service to patients, and respond appropriately to requests made by your supervising dentist.
By the time you graduate, you should have experience working with adult patients, children, elderly patients, and patients with special needs.
You may want to start applying for financial aid as soon as you select a school. Scholarship programs often have due dates throughout the year, and you do not want to miss out on an opportunity. In your research, look into the American Dental Assistants Association, since they award a variety of scholarships each year.
Working as a Dental Assistant in Louisiana
You do not need a dental assistant license to begin working in Louisiana, but you do need to apply for a Louisiana dental assistant license through the Louisiana State Board of Dentistry if you will be doing x-rays or radiography.
Once you are ready to use your education to start working, look for openings in community clinics, privately owned clinics, and chains of dental clinics. Overall, demand for dental assistants may increase 4% in Louisiana by 2024 (O*Net, 2016). The average dental assisting salary in Louisiana is $29,190 per year (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2016).
If you are ready to become a dental assistant, Louisiana schools can help you take the first step.