In today’s economy, many individuals looking for first time careers or retraining in a different field are finding that one job in particular is guaranteed to bring them multiple well-paying offers. An ‘Expanded Functions Dental Assistant’ or EFDA title might sound like you had to go to many years of dental school. But in fact those seeking a career in the healthcare profession and an enjoyable environment can be employed after just 6 months of professional training in one of the fastest growing, in demand and highly compensated healthcare professions in the nation.
Tampa Bay’s leading Dental Assistant Training School has broken ground on a new state-of-the-art facility in order to accommodate the growth of this often overlooked, but lucrative career choice. The new high-tech learning center will be opening in the same city in the first quarter of 2018. Academy for Dental Assistants continues to hold classes in their well-established Educational Institution at their existing facility in St Petersburg.
Students who want the very best education in dental assistant training and to receive their State Certifications are traveling from all over Florida to Academy for Dental Assistants. It’s normal for a class to have participants from as far away as Pensacola, Miami, Orlando and Fort Myers due to the blended format of education in which they deliver their courses that places the didactic portion of the course online via their website. This is very convenient for the student as they can attend the class in person for the clinical hands-on portion of the course allowing for flexibility around the students schedule.
“I was a dental hygienist that worked at the same dental office for 23 years. In 2001, I decided I wanted to do more than dental hygiene but I loved the field of Dentistry and decided to begin teaching dental assisting,” recalls Ronda Miller, Director of the school. “I wrote the curriculum for the program, presented it to the Board of Dentistry for approval, and have trained and certified over 2000 dental assistants in Florida over the past 16 years.”
Ms. Miller immediately observed that some people learned better from a hands-on training format rather than a lecture format. So you might say that the Academy for Dental Assistants has pioneered and developed a curriculum for dental assistant training for all types of learners.
Their courses are offered in a hybrid blended format, so that students can complete the lecture portion of the course material, textbook reading, homework, and tests all online via the Academy’s website. This allows students to fit the coursework into their schedule when it’s convenient for them and limit physically attending class at the facility to one day per week to complete the hands-on portion of the training.
The convenience factor is significant as it allows students to continue to work or be with their families while attending the program. Academy for Dental Assistants offers classes in the evenings, weekdays and Saturdays.
The courses are priced so that interested individuals can afford to get the very best education and state certifications in the healthcare field for about $2,295. That seems to be a very significant savings to the student as some of Academy for Dental Assistants competitors prices in the same city are priced from $5,595 and vary all the way up to $18,000 if completed in a larger for-profit secondary educational facility. The Academy for Dental Assistants offers a very convenient payment option for individuals that do not have the funds to pay for the course up front. It seems that they have thought of everything.
Academy for Dental Assistants training center has perfected a program for an individual to receive their Expanded Functions Dental Assistant and Dental Radiology Certifications and be working earning better than average compensation all within 6 months versus 8-14 months.
According to PayScale, Inc., the average compensation for an (EFDA) Expanded Functions Dental Assistant is $18.25 an hour plus bonuses, benefits and profit sharing. Annual compensation varies depending upon your city, experience and the dental practice. Research shows an EFDA with just 5 years of experience can earn from about the mid $40 thousand range to highs of about $55,000, and in some cities, much more. (Source: PayScale, Inc. U.S. Currency. Updated 03.25.17. Individuals Reporting: 1,568.)
Alexandria Gonsman, a graduate and now a practicing Dental Assistant remembers,
“I had such a great experience. The teachers were very sweet and helpful every single step of the way and didn’t try to rush the class. They made sure that you understood what you were doing before the class moved on. It also has a lot of hands on activity so it’s easier to learn. I would recommend this class to anyone because it was really great and I enjoyed it.”
While Academy’s students are busy learning at the existing facility, construction is underway at what will be a much larger and more modern facility just a few blocks away. The Academy for Dental Assistants is expanding to meet the higher demand to train more students and with the objective to get them out in the field working and earning a great income in the shortest time possible.
In anticipation of the needs of the dental industry, the academy is also offering other classes for the profession including Dental Radiology Certification as well as a training program for Orthodontic assisting and more. They also offer courses for previously trained Dental Assistants that move to Florida and are in need of their Florida Dental Assistant Certifications also offered in a hybrid blended format.
Regardless of the rest of the job market, Academy for Dental Assistants knows the demands of the dental industry and is clear that there will only be an increase in openings for those who want to be involved in this exciting Healthcare Career and Academy for Dental Assistants is rapidly preparing for it.
ABOUT ACADEMY FOR DENTAL ASSISTANTS
Academy for Dental Assistants is a Dental Assistant Training School in St Petersburg, Florida that certifies Dental Assistants in the state for the Florida Board of Dentistry. Their courses are approved by the Florida Board of Dentistry to provide Dental Assistants with their 2 required Certifications from the Florida Board of Dentistry. Graduation from this program equips individuals to receive their Expanded Functions Dental Assistant Certification and their Dental Radiology Certification.
ABOUT RONDA MILLER, DIRECTOR
Ronda Miller is the Director of the Academy for Dental Assistants, is a dental hygienist with 23 years of experience. In 2001, she decided she wanted to teach dental assisting, so she wrote the entire curriculum for the program, presented it to the Board of Dentistry for approval, and has since trained and certified over 2000 dental assistants in Florida over the past 16 years.
Ms. Miller received her Master’s Degree in Counseling and Psychology, in 2012.
She is now a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC), a Family Mediator for the Supreme Court and a Parenting Coordinator with Pinellas and Hillsborough County. She states, “I feel having a degree in psychology helps me understand the needs and struggles of our students allowing me to objectively work with them to achieve their goals.
CONTACT THE ACADEMY FOR DENTAL ASSISTANTS
Academy for Dental Assistants
4911 Park Street North | Suite B
St. Petersburg, FL 33709
Phone: (727) 914-0599
Email: info@academy4da.com
Please consult the academy’s website for upcoming courses, tuition and payment options.
