Are You Almost Finished With Dental Assistant Training? Here Are 4 Ways You Can Beat The Stress Before Your Big Test

person stressing over studyingEach day you get closer to completing your dental assistant training, you get more stressed about taking your big exam. You’ve never been a good test-taker, but you want to ace this exam and be able to help patients achieve great smiles they’re proud of. It doesn’t help that this feels like the biggest exam of your life. Even though you’ve been paying attention in all of your classes, you’re still worried about passing the DANB’s Certified Dental Assistant exam. Here are 4 tips and tricks to beat the stress and reduce your anxiety.

Choosing The Right Study Materials

The first step to reigning in your anxiety is choosing study materials you can count on. One of the biggest worries that people have while they’re studying is whether they’re reviewing what will be on the test or not. The Dental Assisting National Board recommends prepping for your exam by reviewing the exam outline. It will include a list of every topic you could find on the exam—this can help you place your focus on areas you’re weaker in.

Plan And Get Organized

Planning out how you will study for the exam can help you manage your time. This way, as long as you’re sticking to your schedule, you’ll have enough time to prepare. Scrambling to get things done can be chaotic and leave you in an unsure spot, so it’s important to avoid that. Some things you can do to get organized include:

  • Get a calendar.
  • Mark the date of your exam so you have a set deadline.
  • Count the total number of days you have to prepare.
  • Put your weaker areas at the top of your study list so you can spend the most time on them.

Planning and getting organized can help you feel more at ease as your deadline approaches. As long as you have an action plan, you can feel that you’re on the right track.

Envision Your Success

If you bog yourself down with negative thoughts while you’re in the process of preparing for your big day, it can affect your performance. Sometimes, half the battle can be visualizing your success. Getting up and studying each day will be easier when you believe you can pass!

Take A Breather

Certain moments will have you feeling scared and worried, whether it’s during the exam, while you’re studying, or during class. Letting your thoughts snowball and consume you can make you feel you want to give up. When this happens, stop what you’re doing and say a mantra you’ve created, like “Look how far I’ve come, I can finish this.” Sometimes, it can get overwhelming thinking about the end result instead of being proud of yourself for how hard you’ve worked. Stepping on the breaks when these thoughts begin to take over can help you control your emotions and reach your goals.

Completing each dental assisting course is a huge accomplishment in itself, so don’t undermine all the hard work you’ve put into your new career! While preparing for your DANB exam may be difficult, it’s not impossible. Controlling your stress and anxiety can help you focus and achieve your goals!

About the Author

Dr. Gregg Testerman’s focus is to give each student the tools and knowledge they need to be great dental assistants. He has completed several advanced training programs such as Cosmetic Treatment and Complete Dentures and Full Mouth Reconstruction and understands that striving for greatness can be stressful, but it’s well worth it in the end. For any questions about enrolling in dental assistant courses, visit Dental Assistant Pro’s website or contact 513-515-6611.

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Reviews From Our Students

Kenzie Clark
Kenzie Clark
13. August, 2022.
Great experience!!
kaitlyn mcgarvey
kaitlyn mcgarvey
13. August, 2022.
Quick easy way to get a dental assistant certificate. Quick way to get into the dental field. More job opportunities opened after I received the certificate. Also received radiology license from class. Instructor is easy-going & bubbly personality.
Kaitlyn Waits
Kaitlyn Waits
13. August, 2022.
Enjoyable, quick program to get into a dental office. I'm looking forward to starting my new career
Sydnee Burgess (Syd)
Sydnee Burgess (Syd)
13. August, 2022.
It was a great experience! I was very nervous about dental and wasn’t sure how much I’d like it but through this experience I feel a lot better about going into the field. Jeanie who is the instructor is also a very warm person and truly cares for each of her students and their growth in the field.
Abby Morehouse
Abby Morehouse
11. May, 2022.
Such an amazing program! Would recommend this to anyone looking for a career in dentistry.
Lilly Collins
Lilly Collins
7. May, 2022.
Had an amazing experience as a student in the Lebanon program! The instructors Abby and Jeanne are amazing and have taught me so much from skills to job search, i will be forever grateful for their help and this experience.
Kaitlyn
Kaitlyn
7. May, 2022.
Dental Assistant Pro is a wonderful program! The instructors, Jeanne and Abby, are very welcoming and do a great job at teaching their students. This program teaches you all of the basics and allows you to enter at an entry level dental assisting position at any Office. It was very convenient having classes only on the weekends and was so much fun!
Megan Sellman
Megan Sellman
7. May, 2022.
I went to Dental Assistant Pro from 7:30am-12pm, Jeanne and Abby made the program very fun and enjoyable! I learned a lot from this program and they made it easy to learn.
kiranpreet kaur
kiranpreet kaur
7. May, 2022.
I am only 18 and a Dental assistant now. I went to Dental Assistant Pro at Lebanon. It was a wonderful and thorough program. Jeane and Abby made it so easyyy to accomplish my goal. I learnt a lot in this program- X-rays, impression, diagnostic caste model and a lot of other things. Hands on training, awesome experience!!!!! Loved it 😊