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Inside Track 3/27/07-4/3/07 |
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Tuesday, 27 March 2007 |
3/27/07-4/3/07
The Inside Track for parents of:
All Students -
A local limousine company is offering a 10% discount to Students who rent a Limo and say they received the information from Lake Shore. More information is posted on the Guidance office bulletin board.
Freshmen -
Current 9th graders will receive a mailing home to complete a preliminary career plan and input their requests with their parents on-line. Those forms will go out by end of week with paper work due back to our office by April 4th. If you try the on-line scheduling portion and run into problems, or have questions, please call the HS Counseling Center or send me an e-mail. Our on-line scheduling has been very successful with the upperclassmen and we are very excited about giving freshmen the same opportunity.
Juniors -
Counselors continue to push into English classes this week for a joint English/Counselor presentation on the seven habits of highly effective people. The students will learn about the seven habits and complete a group project relating the habits to career clusters and the college exploration process. At the presentation, counselors are also giving students a survey to help us continually improve our counseling services. If you child mentioned something they would like to see added to our presentations for next year please encourage them to include it on the survey.
Seniors -
Watch out for scams!!! Around this time every year parents start to receive official looking envelopes that say things like "Federal Student Loan Program Changes Important Information For Parents." Inside is a half sheet that reads "Congress is set to change..." and there is a number to call "Loan Specialists." Be aware that this envelope was not sent from FAFSA or any government agency, and is simply an attempt to get you to pay someone to help you fill out the FAFSA. If you ever receive anything in the mail that looks suspicious, please have your child bring it to their counselor.
Check out these scholarships: (taken from the "Big Red Binder" in the Career Center)
Applied Math Contest
Who: Sophomores and Juniors
How Much: $1,000 - $3,000
Deadline: April 22, 2007
Requirements: Exam -takes place prior to Gannon's open house.
How: 1-800-426-6668 or see the "Big Red Binder" for more information
Erie County Association of Educational Office Professionals
Who: Seniors who plan to attend higher education and make business their career choice
How Much: (6)$500
Deadline: April 27, 2007
Requirements: Listed on application
How: Applications available in the big red binders. NOTE: If you are considering Business as a career make sure you apply for this scholarship. Many Lake Shore students have won it in the past!!!! I know this is a repeat of last week's but if your child is considering a career in business the NEED to fill this one out!
Career Corner -
Dental Assisting - Erie 2 BOCES & W.N.Y. Dental Assistant Training Center is offering a course in dental assisting. The program is 10 weeks long and meets on Saturdays (4/21-6/23/07). Upon successful completion of the program, participants will receive a certificate in Dental Assisting. The cost is $2495. Please call (716) 549-4450 or 1-800-228-1184 ext. 4038 to register.
(here is some additional information about Dental Assistants taken from the Occupational Outlook Handbook available at bls.gov
Significant Points
Job prospects should be excellent.
Dentists are expected to hire more assistants to perform routine tasks so that they may devote their own time to more complex procedures.
Most assistants learn their skills on the job, although an increasing number are trained in dental-assisting programs; most programs take 1 year or less to complete.
Nature of the Work
Dental assistants perform a variety of patient care, office, and laboratory duties. They work chairside as dentists examine and treat patients. They make patients as comfortable as possible in the dental chair, prepare them for treatment, and obtain their dental records. Assistants hand instruments and materials to dentists and keep patients’ mouths dry and clear by using suction or other devices. Assistants also sterilize and disinfect instruments and equipment, prepare trays of instruments for dental procedures, and instruct patients on postoperative and general oral health care.
Some dental assistants prepare materials for impressions and restorations, take dental x rays, and process x-ray film as directed by a dentist. They also may remove sutures, apply topical anesthetics to gums or cavity-preventive agents to teeth, remove excess cement used in the filling process, and place rubber dams on the teeth to isolate them for individual treatment.
Those with laboratory duties make casts of the teeth and mouth from impressions, clean and polish removable appliances, and make temporary crowns. Dental assistants with office duties schedule and confirm appointments, receive patients, keep treatment records, send bills, receive payments, and order dental supplies and materials.
Dental assistants should not be confused with dental hygienists, who are licensed to perform different clinical tasks. (See the statement on dental hygienists elsewhere in the Handbook.)
Working Conditions
Dental assistants work in a well-lighted, clean environment. Their work area usually is near the dental chair so that they can arrange instruments, materials, and medication and hand them to the dentist when needed. Dental assistants must wear gloves, masks, eyewear, and protective clothing to protect themselves and their patients from infectious diseases. Assistants also follow safety procedures to minimize the risks associated with the use of x-ray machines.
About half of dental assistants have a 35- to 40-hour workweek, which may include work on Saturdays or evenings.
Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement
Most assistants learn their skills on the job, although an increasing number are trained in dental-assisting programs offered by community and junior colleges, trade schools, technical institutes, or the Armed Forces. Assistants must be a second pair of hands for a dentist; therefore, dentists look for people who are reliable, work well with others, and have good manual dexterity. High school students interested in a career as a dental assistant should take courses in biology, chemistry, health, and office practices.
The Commission on Dental Accreditation within the American Dental Association (ADA) approved 265 dental-assisting training programs in 2005. Programs include classroom, laboratory, and preclinical instruction in dental-assisting skills and related theory. In addition, students gain practical experience in dental schools, clinics, or dental offices. Most programs take 1 year or less to complete and lead to a certificate or diploma. Two-year programs offered in community and junior colleges lead to an associate degree. All programs require a high school diploma or its equivalent, and some require science or computer-related courses for admission. A number of private vocational schools offer 4-month to 6-month courses in dental assisting, but the Commission on Dental Accreditation does not accredit these programs.
Most States regulate the duties that dental assistants are allowed to perform through licensure or registration. Licensure or registration may require passing a written or practical examination. States offering licensure or registration have a variety of schools offering courses—approximately 10 to 12 months in length—that meet their State’s requirements. Other States require dental assistants to complete State-approved education courses of 4 to 12 hours in length. Some States offer registration of other dental assisting credentials with little or no education required. Some States require continuing education to maintain licensure or registration. A few States allow dental assistants to perform any function delegated to them by the dentist.
Individual States have adopted different standards for dental assistants who perform certain advanced duties, such as radiological procedures. Completion of the Radiation Health and Safety examination offered by the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB) meets those standards in more than 30 States. Some States require completion of a State-approved course in radiology as well.
Certification is available through DANB and is recognized or required in more than 30 States. Other organizations offer registration, most often at the State level. Certification is an acknowledgment of an assistant’s qualifications and professional competence and may be an asset when one is seeking employment. Candidates may qualify to take the DANB certification examination by graduating from an ADA-accredited dental assisting education program or by having 2 years of full-time, or 4 years of part-time, experience as a dental assistant. In addition, applicants must have current certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation. For annual recertification, individuals must earn continuing education credits.
Without further education, advancement opportunities are limited. Some dental assistants become office managers, dental-assisting instructors, or dental product sales representatives. Others go back to school to become dental hygienists. For many, this entry-level occupation provides basic training and experience and serves as a steppingstone to more highly skilled and higher paying jobs.
Employment
Dental assistants held about 267,000 jobs in 2004. Almost all jobs for dental assistants were in offices of dentists. A small number of jobs were in the Federal, State, and local governments or in offices of physicians. About 2 out of 5 dental assistants worked part time, sometimes in more than one dental office.
Job Outlook
Job prospects for dental assistants should be excellent. Employment is expected to grow much faster than average for all occupations through the year 2014. In fact, dental assistants is expected to be one of the fastest growing occupations over the 2004-14 projection period.
In addition to job openings due to employment growth, numerous job openings will arise out of the need to replace assistants who transfer to other occupations, retire, or leave for other reasons. Many opportunities are for entry-level positions offering on-the-job training.
Population growth and greater retention of natural teeth by middle-aged and older people will fuel demand for dental services. Older dentists, who have been less likely to employ assistants, are leaving the occupation and will be replaced by recent graduates, who are more likely to use one or even two assistants. In addition, as dentists’ workloads increase, they are expected to hire more assistants to perform routine tasks, so that they may devote their own time to more complex procedures.
Earnings
Median hourly earnings of dental assistants were $13.62 in May 2004. The middle 50 percent earned between $11.06 and $16.65 an hour. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $9.11, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $19.97 an hour.
Benefits vary substantially by practice setting and may be contingent upon full-time employment. According to the American Dental Association (ADA), almost all full-time dental assistants employed by private practitioners received paid vacation time. The ADA also found that 9 out of 10 full-time and part-time dental assistants received dental coverage.
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