www.dotcomhunter.com Dental Assistant Licensing Requirements Licensing Requirements for Dental Assistants vary by state. In some s tates you don’t even have to be licensed, only show that you have com pleted a Dental Assistant course of on the job training. If your part icular state offers a licensing option, it is to your advantage to ob tain licensing as you will have a better chance of being hired over t hose who aren’t licensed. In general, you can also expect to be paid more than those who are qualified, yet not licensed. There are not Fe deral Guidelines in regards to Dental Assistant licensing. Everything takes place on the state level. The Dental Assistant licensing exam is often referred to as DAT, shor t for Dental Admission Test. The test may be complied of basic inform ation including tools used in dental offices, procedures, safety, and technology. Many states require you to complete procedures you will actually use in a dental office for an examiner. This will likely inc lude showing your skills on safety and proper cleansing of tools. Most Dental Assistant programs and on the job training programs are well aware of the licensing requirements in your state. The programs are customized to meet all those requirements and help prepare you for both the written and procedural portions of the exam. They can a lso assist you in finding out when the exam will be conducted in you r area. Regardless if licensing is required in your state or not, not employer s require Dental Assistants to complete a background check prior to st arting employment. This is for the safety and protection of the patien ts as well as the staff. If you have a criminal background, it may pre vent you from being able to work as a Dental Assistant in some states. In others, you will only be barred if the crime was sexual in nature or violent in nature. Still yet, other states only prevent you from be ing hired as a Dental Assistant if you have a felony conviction in the past seven years. If you think your background check will be a factor in gaining employm ent as a Dental Assistant, it is very important to check into the stat e requirements prior to enrolling in and completing a program. It is n ot advised to lie on your application either as almost all dentist off ices will conduct a thorough background check on all individuals they are considering offering employment to. Most Dental Assistant licenses are valid for a certain length of time . Generally three to five years. As your renewal comes due, you will be sent a questionnaire from your State Medical Board. It will ask yo u questions pertaining to your employment, about any convictions or p ending issues that have taken place. Keep in mind that your Dental As A gift from www.dotcomhunter.comwww.dotcomhunter.com sistant license can be revoked if the information you place on the re newal is found to be inaccurate or if you have been involved in crimi nal activity during the licensing period. It is very important that you understand Dental Assistant licensing re quirements vary greatly from state to state. Therefore, if you are pla nning to move to another state make sure you can transfer your license to that state. You will be able to if your license is in good standin g and the State Dental Board is not investigating any complaints about you. The state you are transferring your license to must have the sam e level of requirements or less. It the new state requirements are mor e than you have, then you will need to obtain the missing skills or cl asses in order to obtain a license. Licensing as a Dental Assistant can help you have an edge on the comp letion for that great job you want. It also implies to patients that you are qualified to be working in a dental office and meeting their dental needs. It can also increase your level of pay in some states w here licensing is available but not required. You can obtain informat ion about licensing exams in your area from the State Dental Board or you course instructor. The exam is generally written and procedural. PPPPP Word Count 678 A gift from www.dotcomhunter.com