Developing dental airmen: how the U.S. Air Force provides training and advancement opportunities for dental assistants

Dental Assistant, The, July-August, 2009 by Tom Davis

Let's face it, when someone is deciding on whether or not to make a career out of their current job a lot rides on whether or not there are opportunities for professional growth and advancement. Well, imagine joining the Air Force (AF) to serve your country. You may or may not have been allowed to pick your occupational specialty. For the latter that means someone chose your career path for you. How would you know what to expect and what opportunities lay ahead?

Such is the case for many new AF dental assistants every year. The AF Dental Service, which is comprised of approximately 3,000 auxiliary personnel including 2,400 dental assistants, uses a deliberate approach to ensure all Airmen, even those who did not necessarily choose dental assisting as a career, have an equal opportunity to reach their full potential. There is a visible path for education, training, experience, and advancement for all AF dental assistants.

It all begins with education. The AF trains about 300 dental assistants a year at its schoolhouse at Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas. This first phase of professional development is accredited by the American Dental Association and employs the latest in technology and instruction methodology. A premium is placed upon hands-on training in such areas as digital radiology, infection control, and general chairside assisting. Students learn about the requirements of gaining national certification and actually challenge the Dental Assisting National Board's (DANB) Infection Control Examination prior to graduation. There are plans to start including DANB's Radiation Health and Safety examination later this year giving students the opportunity to complete two of the three tests required for national certification. Graduates of the 48-day academic dental assisting program then move to their first assignment at one of 80 worldwide AF dental facilities.

At their first assignment dental assistants enter the second phase of their professional development. In this phase they complete a correspondence course in dental assisting through the AF's Air University and complete a 12- to 24-month on-the-job training program to further develop dental assisting skills and knowledge. Most AF dental clinics are multichair practices with between four to 30 dentists assigned offering dental assistants a lot of opportunities to experience working with different providers, including specialists such as oral surgeons, periodontists, prosthodontists, and orthodontists, among others.

Following this second phase of professional development dental assistants are encouraged to challenge DANB's Chairside Assisting examination and gain national certification. Further, the AF offers dental assistants 100 percent tuition to cover the costs associated with seeking an Associate's Degree in dental assisting technology and earning a Bachelor and Master's Degree if a dental assistant so desires.

A third phase of professional development focuses on dental clinic management, supervisory, and leadership skills. This third phase of development generally starts between the fourth and sixth year of service and actually continues for the rest of a dental assistant's career. Just like in a civilian practice, AF dental assistants are expected to perform all jobs associated with running a dental practice.

Given the relatively large size of most AF dental facilities, this creates a number of opportunities for dental assistants to work a wide variety of jobs including general assisting, specialty care, appointment/records clerk, oral preventive assistant, treatment team coordinator, and practice manager. An assistant will often move back and forth amongst these jobs to keep all their skills sharp and to prevent job stagnation.

Professional development does not stop there. AF assistants can volunteer to serve in a variety of special assignments such as being an instructor at the Sheppard schoolhouse, working at our dental supply and equipment evaluation and research center, or helping to manage the AF Dental Service from our central office.

Finally, to help ensure all dental assistants meet the same standard, a recent policy was enacted mandating continuing education. By 2011 all AF dental assistants will be required to obtain 12 credit hours of continuing education annually. Aside from the education benefit this provides, it is our hope this policy will encourage even more AF dental assistants to seek national certification.

The AF Dental Service is dedicated to providing for the professional growth of its dental assistants. Through its deliberate education and training platforms the AF offers all its dental assistants the same opportunity to achieve their career goals and have a rewarding career in dental assisting.

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CMSgt Tom Davis is the Career Field Manager for Air Force Dental Services. He has been in the Air Force for over 27 years and serves as the senior dental enlisted consultant to the Air Force Surgeon General. He is also responsible for the training, utilization, and professional development of 2,400 dental assistants, 500 dental laboratory technicians, and 100 hygienists. In addition to an Associate of Applied Science in Dental Assisting, Chief Davis has earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Management from the University of Phoenix.