Dental Assistant - Help Make Those Pearly Whites Shine
Dental Assistants have a detail-oriented mindset that makes them very meticulous. They are interested in healthcare, they have an innate desire to help other people, and they may enjoy volunteering in their spare time.
The Dental Assistant is a very clean and orderly person, and one who likes hobbies that involve working with their hands.
What does a Dental Assistant do?
Dental assistants perform various patient care, office and laboratory duties in both small and large dental practices. They’re responsible for making patients as comfortable as possible, preparing them for treatment, and obtaining dental records. During a patient exam, dental assistants hand instruments and materials to dentists, and keep patients' mouths clear by using suction or other devices.
They also sterilize instruments and equipment, prepare tray setups for dental procedures, and instruct patients on postoperative and general oral health care. Some dental assistants prepare materials for making impressions and restorations, expose radiographs, and process dental x-ray film.
Dental Assistants may remove sutures, apply anesthetics to gums or cavity-preventive agents to teeth, remove excess cement used in the filling process, and place rubber dams on the teeth to isolate them for individual treatment.
Those with laboratory duties make casts of the teeth and mouth from impressions taken by dentists, clean and polish removable appliances, and make temporary crowns. Dental assistants with office duties schedule and confirm appointments, receive patients, keep treatment records, send bills, receive payments, and order dental supplies.
What Does Our Dental Assistant Program Offer You?
- The fundamentals of dental x-ray
- Education in dental science and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certification
- Chairside training with regard to dental equipment, instruments and tray set-ups
- Knowledge of proper laboratory procedures
- An introduction to dental health and preventative dentistry
- Basic dental office administration duties for large or small dental practices
- Externship in a dental facility
What career choices are available to graduates?
Upon graduation, you will be qualified to work as a Dental Assistant, a Chairside Assistant or a Dental Receptionist in large or small dental offices and clinics.
Classroom Procedures
Each course stands alone as a unit of study and is not dependent upon prerequisite training. A student may enter the program at the beginning of any course and continue through the sequence until completion of all courses.
Externship
Following the completion of the coursework, you will have the opportunity to participate in a seven-week externship in a dental facility under the supervision of a dental professional. During this time, you will practice the skills learned during the classroom portion of the course.
The unpaid externship consists of 256 clock hours, averaging eight hours a day, five days a week.
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