How to become a Dental Assistant in the Military
Military officers must score 95 or better on the ST part of the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) and must have normal color vision to be eligible for dental assistant training while in the military.
Included in this training are preparations for handling patients and dental instruments, and assisting in dental examinations. Aspiring dental assistants will also be taught how to record and collect basic medical info, and they will be shown how to administer anesthesia in a proper fashion, remove sutures properly, and take x-rays. They will also be shown how to use impression materials, understand the proper maintenance of equipment, manage the office and inventory, and schedule patients.
Expertise in these areas will help military officers to become well-rounded members of any military or civilian dental team. The skills that are taught will allow learners to become much more viable as an employee in the civilian world. In fact, many employers actively look to hire former military personnel due to their outstanding dental training during their service in the Armed Forces.
Additional U.S. Army Info
To become a dental assistant in the U.S. Army, goarmy.com says that applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Meet the necessary moral and medical standards to become a commissioned Officer
- Be a citizen of the United States
- Pass a security investigation
- Have a degree from an accredited dental school or the American Dental Association (ADA)
- Be licensed to practice dentistry in a U.S. state or territory, the District of Columbia, or Puerto Rico
- Be between the ages of 21 and 42. Dentists who are older than 42 can apply for an age waiver.
- Health care professionals who are experienced and between the ages of 43 and 60 may be eligible for an option for a two-year service obligation.