Northwestern Michigan College Home Page
| Site Map | Staff Intranet (login required; staff only)
Health Occupations > Dental Assistant Revised 5/3/05

Career Expectations

  Registered Dental Assistant (RDA)*
Educational
Requirements

Registered Dental assistants in Michigan must complete a college level Certificate or Associate Degree program and successfully pass a licensing exam.

Selected
Duties
  1. Assisting the dentist
  2. Fabricating & placing temporary fillings
  3. Applying fluoride & sealants
  4. Removing sutures
  5. Taking & processing dental x-rays
  6. Infection control procedures
  7. Placing, condensing, and carving amalgam fillings
Earnings
(1997 National
average)

Experienced dental assistants earned an average of $14/hour.

Employment
Outlook

Dental assistant employment opportunities are expected to increase faster than average for all occupations nationally.

Helpful
Abilities and
Attributes
  1. Use logical step-by-step procedures
  2. Work well with others and put patients at ease
  3. Ability to follow spoken instructions and detailed procedures
  4. Manipulate small objects
Work
Schedule

Most assistants work 32-40 hours/week. Some work part-time.

*Dental assistants can be trained on-the-job. However, if one wishes to perform expanded duties and become a Registered Dental Assistant in Michigan, they must complete a post-secondary program approved by the State Board of Dentistry.
Source: MOIS 1998

 
© Northwestern Michigan College, Traverse City, MI