Dentistry has advanced in remarkable ways over the centuries. In just the past few decades alone, safe and frequent radiological scan technology has allowed dentists and orthodontists to understand the human mouth better. The information revealed in these scans helps dentists find potential problems before they are noticeable on the surface of the teeth and before they become a medical crisis or significant source of pain.
Dental assistant work exists in various dentistry contexts, including regular dental practices, emergency dentistry, orthodontics, and oral surgery. While the work varies from one practice to another, there is a need to take x-rays or other imaging scans accurately and safely in most of these contexts.
However, with this additional technology comes additional training for dental assistants who want to be versatile team members in dentistry practice. Understanding this additional training and how it benefits you shows how radiology for oral surgeons' certification can help you advance your career and keep strong job security as you consider future moves within the field.
What is Radiology for Oral Surgeons or Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology
If you're already a working dental assistant, you might have someone else with a radiology certification handle when your patients need x-rays or other dental radiography procedures. They explain processes to patients to keep them comfortable and use appropriate safety supplies, such as protective gear and accurately positioning the x-ray or other radiography equipment. Furthermore, they must activate the equipment safely and effectively to get useful x-rays.
If you've had x-rays done, it may have seemed very simple. However, a complete understanding of the usefulness of these scans and the necessary safety procedures surrounding them allows your dental assistant to complete the process so smoothly. When dental assistants choose to pursue their Radiology Proficiency Certification in Oregon, they learn extensively through online learning and weekend labs that allow them to develop the proficiency to proceed with confidence once they begin participating in radiology work at their workplace.
How Does a Radiology Proficiency Certification Help Your Career as a Dental Assistant?
Be aware that medical professionals use radiology in various formats. Not every "radiology" certification advances your career as a dental assistant. While learning CT scanning, digital imaging, MRI scanning, and ultrasound technicians make valuable paths forward in particular healthcare settings. Dental assistants and orthodontic assistants should look to train particularly in oral and maxillofacial radiology to benefit their current workplace or field.
Being able to help with radiography scans in a dentist's office or orthodontic practice makes you a more versatile team member. It may involve a more specialized role and even promotion if that is how dental assistant jobs work in your practice. While some practices have a specific role for someone who does radiography, imaging, and scans as the primary component of their career, others have this training as part of their various duties. Dental assistants, after all, already discuss many things with their patients, from planning for surgery, diagnosing any kinds of mouth or tooth pain, and evaluating for orthodontic treatment or ongoing evaluation of how orthodontic treatment is going.
Oral surgeons, in particular, need assistants who understand how to perform radiography because they design a treatment plan that relies on knowledge of what is going on below the gums. If, for instance, an oral surgeon needs to remove impacted wisdom teeth, their approach and surgical choices will all be informed by the information from the x-rays of the person's mouth, helping him locate and extract the tooth or teeth rapidly.
When you have this credential, you become a more well-rounded addition to almost any office, including radiology for oral surgeons. While there may or may not be a separate senior position involved, your versatility makes you more competitive, helping you gain access to the work you want.
Portland Community College Helps Dental Assistants Flourish
Our various opportunities in Dental Health Education at the Portland Community College CLIMB Center help those interested in or working in dentistry at multiple levels to gain further skills and expand their vocational opportunities. We use a thorough knowledge of what high-demand careers need additional participants and create coursework that will help move our students into the roles that will help them build careers. Get to know our approach to affordable, flexible education today!
