The U.S. Bureau of Labor projects that employment of dental assistants will “grow 25% from 2012 to 2022.”1 You’ve probably already witnessed the growth and demand for quality-trained dental assistants. But have you ever considered how you could utilize your practice as a training facility?
Depending on the actual physical size of your practice, you may have an additional income opportunity staring you in the face. Imagine using your facilities after hours, one day a week over 10 to 13 weeks to train potential dental assistants? For many dental professionals, it’s an easy way to generate more income from their dental practice.
Once again, if you physically have a large enough practice, opening your own dental assistant training program makes a lot of sense. That’s because your dental facility probably already has a lot of what is needed to train dental assistants. And, perhaps best of all, you don’t even need to be there. With the right program materials, your experienced hygienist or dental assistant can teach the class. In addition, depending on the accreditation of the program you use to start a dental assistant training school, you, your faculty and your students may be eligible to receive CE credits for your efforts.
Obviously, starting a training program requires training materials, curriculums, and more. Fortunately, a variety of resources exist to help dental practices quickly get up to speed in offering dental assistant training. If you’re interested in learning more, a great place to start is an article in Dentistry iQ.
Starting your own dental assisting school can be a viable way to utilize space and equipment you already have, in a way that doesn’t detract from your current practice while generating more income for your overall bottom line. It can be a smart and rewarding move that helps satisfy a need for quality-trained dental assistants.
Reference:
1U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook
