Dental Assistant Programs in Oregon
In Oregon, there is a growing demand for medical professionals at all levels of education. While dentists provide a wide variety of dental services to patients, dentists also have extremely large caseloads. This means they need to distribute their time fairly among patients. Dental assistants provide basic services and cleanings to give dentists time to provide more advanced care.
At dental assistant schools in Oregon, you may learn about a dental assistant’s scope of practice, find out which work settings you may explore, and get clinical practice with patients.
This is the time to learn more about becoming a dental assistant in Oregon!
Find the right Oregon dental assistant school for you by contacting programs below.
Dental Assistant Schools in Oregon
While comparing different dental assistant training options, you may come across many types of programs. The shorter option is a diploma or certificate.
Depending on which school you attend, you may be able to earn a diploma or certificate in approximately one year. On average, these programs require 30 credits. They tend to be fairly fast-paced, which allows you to get a broad range of patient experience by the time you graduate.
Courses Offered at Oregon Dental Assistant Schools
- Dental Health Education
- Dental Materials
- Dental Office Procedures
- Chairside Procedures
- Dental Radiology
- Advanced Clinical Experiences
- Dentistry Law and Ethics
The other option you may come across is an Associate’s degree program. This is a bit more involved, since it requires the completion of several general education courses. All in all, an Associate’s-level program may be completed in about two years.
After selecting a dental assistant school, you may apply for scholarships to offset your expenses. Through the American Dental Assistants Association, you may apply for three different scholarships.
The final step is certification, which allows you to work fully within your scope of practice. To become an Expanded Function Dental Assistant, you must graduate from a CODA-accredited program, take a radiology exam, and submit application documents to the Oregon Board of Dentistry.
Working as a Dental Assistant in Oregon
With your certification, you can work in public and private dental clinics throughout Oregon. At a public clinic, you may work with patients on public health assistance or those who are unable to afford standard dental care.
In a privately owned clinic, you may have a smaller patient load. In both cases, hours tend to be fairly traditional. Few dental clinics have night or weekend hours, with the exception of emergency dental clinics.
The job outlook in Oregon is strong, making this an excellent place to get established. By 2024, job openings for dental assistants may increase 15% (O*Net, 2017). The dental assistant salary Oregon average is $41,680 per year (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2017).
Now that you know what it takes to become a dental assistant, it’s time to make your move and get involved.