Assist to Succeed Lake Oconee graduates first class of certified dental assistants

Published 1:00 pm Thursday, August 9, 2018

Assist to Succeed Lake Oconee has graduated its first class of certified dental assistants. The program launched its first class this past spring and concluded with six students graduating last month.

“We are so proud of this inaugural class of students,” said Dr. David Bradley, owner of Assist to Succeed Lake Oconee and course instructor. “Our ultimate goal was to give them the tools they needed to join a dental team. The sky is the limit for them.”   

Assist to Succeed (ATS) is a 12-week certification program that gives students hands-on training to become a successful dental assistant. Students received 80 hours of lecture and lab with a practicing dentist in a fully-operational dental office. Additionally, students were required to learn and observe procedures at specialty offices. Students earned their Georgia radiology certification and CPR certification as part of the course.

Casey Young, a graduate of Assist to Succeed Lake Oconee, is now working as a dental assistant and says the skills she learned over the past 12 weeks have set her up for future success.

“Dentistry had always interested me, but I had no prior experience in the field. ATS made it easy to make a career switch,” said Young. “The coursework was challenging, but I received plenty of encouragement along the way. Dr. Bradley was always available to answer questions and talk through things. Within weeks I had the knowledge I needed and valuable hands-on experience. I was able to step into a job right after graduation.”

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, dental assisting is one of the fastest-growing medical careers, with demand expected to grow steadily over the next several years. Assist to Succeed Lake Oconee was opened in order to provide a new training opportunity for people looking to benefit from this industry boom.

“Many people find it difficult to break into dental assisting because the available programs are too expensive and take too long,” said Bradley. “Assist to Succeed is a 12-week program that is held on Saturdays, which makes the training more convenient, efficient and economical for people looking to start a new career.  We’re thrilled to be able to provide this opportunity for the community.”

Assist to Succeed (ATS) Lake Oconee will open another session in 2019. Those who are interested in applying can send an email to ats@lakeoconeedental.com in order to be informed when the session opens. All ATS classes will be held at the Lake Oconee Dentistry office, located off Highway 44 in Greensboro, between the Publix parking lot and the movie theater. The school is certified through the state of Georgia Non-Public Post Secondary Education Commission.