Becoming a dental assistant takes 4 year degree and about a year of an internship. You could get a 2 year degree and then a 2 year internship as well.
I don't think is too old. My dentist and her assistant are both really old. Not that 44's old, they're older than 44. It is never too late to get training to do something you would rather be working at. Only thing is, make sure the student loans do not exceed what you can manage to pay per month.
Many local colleges offer dental assistant degrees such as community colleges. You can see this site for other places to find that degree: http://www.dentalassistant.net/
No certificate is required to be a dental assistant. A least at the present time. Dental assistants can be training on-the-job. However, dentists prefer those who have been through a training program. The salary for those trained on-the-job is low. To make yourself more marketable with a higher salary, you should be registered, certified, and have an x-ray license. There are a number of schools that offer the dental assistant program, the most prevalent being the community college. In the long run, it will be well worth the time and effort.
Dental assistant certificate programs can vary in length. For some, you may be able to complete the requirements in as little as nine months.
Most people do know them as Dental Nurses, but the PC way to say it is Dental Assistant. I prefer to call them glorified cleaners myself :D I am a dental nurse, and It will take you 2 years at the most to qualify at NVQ Level 3 oral health care.
While it does not take as long as the five years of veterinary school, it does still take three years of intense work.
It take 6 years o complete certified nursing assistant training.
Certified Nurse Assistant training usually lasts ten to twelve weeks.
Some programs take about 6-8 weeks. Others take about a year http://www.ehow.com/how_4540982_how-long-does-become-medical.html
It takes about 9-10 months to be certified in CT...
Dental Assistants can POLISH teeth. Dental Assistant may not use hand scalers or Ultrasonic scalers unless they are RDAs. A certified dental assistant who is also CORONAL POLISH certified can perform child or adult prophylaxis (prophy or more commonly referred to as a "regular cleaning"). So, technically, yes Dental Assistants can clean teeth as long as it is the crown above the gum.
how long does it take to become a medical assistant