Free program leads to dental career

By Mr. Marcy Sanchez (Regional Health Command Central)January 29, 2016

Military ID card holders will have an opportunity to participate in an orientation aimed at earning credentials as a dental assistant through the American Red Cross and U.S. Army Dental Activity-Fort Bliss, Feb. 3.

The Dental Assisting Training Program is a free program consisting of academic work followed by an intensive 600-hour chair side learning period which can span from eight to nine months.

"You come to the orientation and the application will be emailed, then there's an interview process," said Kimberly Darden, hospital chair for American Red Cross at William Beaumont Army Medical Center. "The program is accelerated; it's a lot of repetition and a lot of learning."

Upon successful completion of the program, participants may have the required hours and training necessary to obtain national or state certification, depending on state requirements.

"At the completion of the program students will be certified through the U.S. Army Dental Activity," said Darden. "Treat [orientation] like a job interview, a college interview, it's very important."

Throughout the program participants rotate through different sections of dental clinics on Fort Bliss while being supervised by dental professionals. Areas of training include sterilization, X-ray, chair side [assisting dentists], laboratory and front desk operations.

"I was more than prepared," said Adriana Mendoza, who completed the program two years ago and is now a certified dental assistant. "It was a big change because I was a stay-at-home mom, but well worth it, it's an awesome occupation."

The no-cost program allows graduates to compete against other dental assistants who may have paid thousands of dollars for the same certification.

"I was able to talk to other dental assistants and compare what they were taught in school," said Mendoza, whose husband Staff Sgt. Jose Mendoza is assigned to 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division. "Most of the dental assistants I talked to spent about 15,000 on school and were not as experienced as [program participants] were."

For Mendoza and many other military dependents, the training and certification is valuable because of its transferability between different states due to frequent military moving.

"It enables the spouses to have a trade to move with when active-duty members move," said Darden.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, average pay for dental assistants in 2014 was $36,260 with an 18 percent growth rate from 2014-2024.

"The program is very competitive; there are a limited number of students that will be accepted," said Darden.

Mendoza, who is a co-chair in the selection board for this year's program, says participants should be professional when coming to the orientation and interview, be ready and should not get nervous.

Interested individuals must possess a military ID (retiree, dependent, etc.) and be over 18 years old. There will be two mandatory pre-program orientations held on Feb. 3 at 1:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. at Sage Hall, Bldg. 311 Pershing Circle, Fort Bliss.

For more information, contact 915-568-4898 or 915-742-2483.