Meet Intra Oral Dental Assistant Expert – Raymond Bucoy

Anderson College’s Intra Oral Level I & II Dental Assistant program emphasizes the importance of hands-on-training; students not only apply their knowledge within a fully-equipped, state-of-the-art, dental laboratory, but through a practicum with potential employers. They have the distinct advantage of learning from our industry-expert instructors and gain both the technical and interpersonal skills required to engage in quality patient communication and care.

Our dental assistant course is a pathway for achieving dental assistant certification and embarking on a rewarding career with significant and secure job prospects.

But who better to hear from than an expert in the industry? We had the opportunity to sit down with the Program Chair, Raymond Bucoy and he offered key insights on what the Intra Oral Dental Assistant program is all about. In hearing what Raymond shares, you’ll have a keen understanding of what this educational and career opportunity may specifically mean for you.

Raymond’s Background:

Raymond started his dentistry career in the Philippines, before becoming a certified dental assistant in Canada. He has been a Clinical Practical Evaluator for the National Dental Assisting Examining Board (NDAEB) for over 10 years, and in 2013 he was appointed as the Dental Assisting Educators of Canada’s representative to the NDAEB for Non-Accredited Dental Assisting Programs. Raymond now serves as President of the NDAEB, making him the first Filipino and international candidate to hold a position on their Board of Directors.

Watch his interview here or scroll down to read it below:

Anderson Spotlight Interview

Introduction:

My name is Raymond Bucoy. I’m the Program Chair of the Intra Oral Dental Assistant program at Anderson College of Health, Business, and Technology. I’ve been an academic for the last 28 years and have a formal education background in dentistry. I’m also a Certified Dental Assistant here in Ontario.

What is the Intra Oral Dental Assistant program about?

The Intra Oral Dental Assistant program at Anderson College is 51 weeks. We teach students the theoretical portion and also the clinical portion. Right now, I’m in the clinic, this is where students go for their clinical practice. The theoretical portion will teach them all the basic sciences – how to identify instruments, the functions of the instruments, and then when they come into the clinic, they will see the actual instruments.

What will students learn and what can they expect from this program?

They learn how to pass the instruments, how to mix materials, and how to help the dentist, because that’s what we’re training them for. They learn how to take X-rays, which is their cup of tea. We train them very well in radiology. We tell them how to record the medical and dental histories of the patients. They learn quite a lot in the clinic during that time.

What fears do students have when they join the program?

The fear that they have is usually the fear of not meeting their own expectations. They fear that they will fail their clinical and theoretical exams. That’s the number one thing that they have in their mind, the fear of failing the program. We always convince them that it will not happen and that, as long as they practice and study hard, they will make it. Of course, we’ll help them too.

What are the typical questions new students in the program ask about?

Most of the typical questions, if they are new in the clinic, are: Is the clinical portion hard? Does the theoretical portion have a lot of exams? Those are the most difficult questions we get. I think the most recent question a student asked me was: Are we going to work on each other’s smiles?

Can you tell us more about what students do in the lab?

In the lab, we train them how to get molds of the teeth, how to create molds, and how to mix types of cement. We also train them how to make custom trays, and how to bleach trays, mouthguards. In the clinic, we train them how to pass instruments, how to identify instruments, and we tell them how to take X-rays. At Anderson, we’re using real radiation, so they’re really taking extra precautions when it comes to that. That’s all part of their training.

What part of the program/practical training do students enjoy the most?

It’s the clinical portion. It’s what they enjoy the most during the program, when they are in the clinic, because this is the time where they act as an assistant and the instructor will act as the dentist. So, they transfer instruments, they transfer the materials, they prepare the syringe, etc. They enjoy a lot of the clinical portion, but they also enjoy the theoretical portion. I think when they come into the clinic, they are happy to apply what they have learned in the theory portion.

Who can take this program?

Anybody can take the program, especially if you’re a high school graduate. Mature students are welcome in the program, and we even have international students too. So basically, as long as you finish high school, you’re eligible to join the program.

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Can students become certified after graduation?

The students can become certified, not after graduation, but after they pass the board exam. We encourage our students to write this exam, offered by the National Dental Assisting Examining Board (NDAEB). Once they pass that, then, they become Certified Dental Assistants. It helps a lot. It’s beneficial for them for position-seeking, job-seeking especially, and salary range/compensation rate. It affects it a lot if you’re certified.

What job opportunities can graduates of this program expect?

In our program, we don’t only train students to become chairside dental assistants, but we also train them how to be front desk, dental assistants. So, if they’re not busy assisting the dentist, they can actually be at the front desk answering telephones and making appointments. We train them in different aspects, so they can always work in regular dental offices but also in hospitals. They can also work in public health or as a salesperson, they know selling dental products because we teach them about different products in dentistry.

Do graduates of the program find employment easily?

As a matter of fact, they do easily find jobs. The nice thing with our program is that we have these 100 hours that they have to do before they graduate; they have to do a practicum of 100 hours. So, during this practicum, they develop a rapport with a dentist, with assistants in the clinic, and the patients, so most of the time the employer or the dentist will absorb them into their practice and hire them right away. So as far as employment is concerned, we have no problem. As a matter of fact, we have dentists calling our campus asking for dental assistants and if there are any available that they can employ in their offices.

Do you have any words of advice for future students?

Future students, study hard. Enjoy your time being a student. If you fail, stand up, re-balance, and move to the next step, never give up. Never give up. That’s how I did it, I never gave up.

Now that you know all there is to know about Anderson’s Intra Oral Dental Assistant program, you realize the opportunity and the path to get you there. With dentists actively seeking out professionals in this field, the time is now. Start your Intra Oral Dental Assistant career today! Learn more about the course here or book a virtual appointment with our Admissions team.