Dental assistant

Training as a dental assistant in Halle an der Saale

The profession of ZFA, ZMFA or ZMF

There is a bit of confusion about the job description. The correct short name is ZFA or ZMFA (dental assistant). Every now and then circumscribes the abbreviation ZMF for dental specialist assistant, which is outdated.

No matter what the short name is, the job of a dental assistant involves a great many responsible tasks, which are essential to ensure direct care for patients in the dental practice.

This includes the appointment of appointments, the reception of patients at the reception, the preparation and issuing of prescriptions or medical prescriptions, assisting the dentist with the treatment, the preparation of X-rays (OPG) and impressions for the dental laboratory. These are the tasks that a patient experiences when he visits the dentist. But there is a lot more going on in the background.

Other skills of a dental assistant

To run a dental practice smoothly requires many other areas of work that are not immediately apparent to the patient. The practice premises must be prepared for treatment, practice materials are to be ordered, dental instruments should undergo their constant cleaning and care, the hygiene guidelines must be complied with disinfection and sterilization and also a treatment and cost plan should be able to create a ZFA.
That’s all very much!

The video diary of a dental assistant in training of the Dentistry Chamber of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern gives information here.
All these measures are often unknown to the young trainees.

“Before an applicant decides to train as a dental assistant, she will first get to know the internal processes in our practice over several days. This is often a surprise to many, “says dentist Roger Barz. “Thus, we can also ensure that the newcomers to the job really get to know all later areas of responsibility and ultimately finish the training successfully. That’s our goal.

How long does the training for ZFA last??

The training as a dental assistant takes three years. During this time, she learns the theoretical equipment for her profession in a vocational school. She gathers practical experience during her presence in the respective dental practice, which has made her an apprentice.

On which days the ZFA is in school and when it will be in the field is very different and is determined by the VET schools. With the end of the training then written and oral exams must be completed. Then she is done!

What does a dental assistant in education deserve??

The training allowance is determined by the dental associations of the individual federal states themselves. The so-called “apprentice’s allowance” can be very different from the Dentist’s Chamber to the Dentist‘s Chamber. There is also a graduation in the individual years of apprenticeship.

In Saxony-Anhalt, a dental assistant receives 650 euros in the first year, 700 in the second year and finally 760 in the third year. Remunerations are adjusted regularly and increased accordingly. The above figures are the status from the year 2019. The apprentices receive 24 working days as holiday. Not that bad!

What does a dental assistant in your job deserve??

The earnings of a dental assistant can be very volatile. Of course, that depends on the state and the region, but of course on the dental practice, where it ends up being employed. It can be remunerated according to the tariff or extra-tariff.
If she is not employed in a clinic or at the university, non-tariff agreements usually apply. Exceptions are the federal states of Hesse, Hamburg, Saarland and Westphalia-Lippe, as there is a collective wage agreement.
Although there is no general rule beyond the minimum wage law, there are certain guidelines that most of the private practices in Germany hold.

In the first three years of employment, the ZMFA can expect a monthly salary of between € 1,600 and € 1,800.
In addition, there are often holiday pay, Christmas bonus and also capital-efficient benefits such as a company pension.
With increasing professional experience, the salary can rise to 2,500 euros and more. That depends on the additional qualifications that a ZFA will acquire in the coming years of service. These are very diverse. That also has an effect on the salary … and positive.

Further specializations and qualifications of a dental assistant

With the completed training to ZFA the professional career is usually not yet completed. The duties of a dental practice have become more and more extensive and special in recent years. This requires a specialized staff. The opportunities for promotion are thus manifold.

As a prophylactic assistant or prophylactic nurse you work independently, often in your own consulting room on the patient and performs a professional dental cleaning (PZR) by or advises the patient in the optimal implementation of home oral hygiene. An extension of this job profile is then also experienced through the qualified further training as a dental hygienist.

There is also the specialization of medical administrative employees. Here you are responsible as a later practice manager for the internal processes of a dental practice
As a hygiene officer, care is taken to ensure that the binding RKI guidelines are implemented in everyday practice.
Quality Management (QM) has become an important and comprehensive issue in every practice. Here, too, special tasks await the young female entrant.
The qualifications are diverse and will continue to grow in the future. Thus, the job of a ZFA is very much in demand, quite crisis-proof and will be well rewarded accordingly in the future.

What requirements do you have to bring along as a dental assistant??

Around 10 percent of trainees have a high school diploma, 61 percent have a middle school degree, 28 percent have a secondary school degree, and only about 1 percent do not have a degree. Helpful are good grades in German, math and biology. As personal strengths you should have the ability to self-organize, a sense of responsibility and a good communication skills. Care and accuracy are also beneficial.

A great job!

“The goal of our practice is to keep all apprentices in the field. Sister Romy and Sister Sarah began their training in our practice and are still working here today. That’s very important to us! “Says dentist Roger Barz. “Often I can not understand why so few young women find this job attractive. Regulated working hours, no weekend service, except the few emergency services in the year,

as well as working with people in an organized team and an attractive salary are all advantages in this profession, which is rarely found anywhere else so pronounced, “adds the owner of the Dental Health Halle. “We like to train and then like to keep busy. That is a basic principle of our practice. “

Photos: Matthias Vogel, Roger Barz and Pixabay

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