Dental assistants can advance to roles like office management, where they oversee administrative tasks, scheduling, and billing. This role typically requires additional skills in management and business operations, not necessarily more formal education.
The EFDA specialization requires additional certification and training, allowing dental assistants to perform expanded functions such as placing dental restorations or taking impressions, which are not covered in general dental assisting training.
Continuing education helps dental assistants stay up to date with industry trends, new technologies, and updated protocols, which can improve their performance, increase their job security, and potentially lead to higher-paying opportunities.
Pediatric dental assisting focuses on providing dental care to children. It requires specialized knowledge and skills to manage young patients, including those with dental anxiety or special needs, which makes it a rewarding specialization for dental assistants.
With their certification, dental assistants can transition into administrative roles, such as office manager, or move into teaching dental assisting at a vocational school, providing them with more career opportunities and growth options within the dental field.
