Program Overview

The Dental Assistant program is taught over approximately 9-10 months during the day and 13-14 months during the evening. The program covers the basic knowledge and skills required to become an entry-level Dental Assistant including foundational courses in General and Specialized Anatomy and Physiology. The program prepares students for Dental Assisting positions in Dental offices that are either clinical or administrative in nature. Students complete coursework in dental procedures, dental materials and in the structure and operation of a dental office. The program also contain a clinical externship which is completed in a outside medical facility. Upon completion, graduates will have the entry-level skills of a Dental Assistant and be qualified to interview for positions in a variety of dental facilities.

Nature of the Work

Dental assistants perform a variety of patient care, office, and laboratory duties. They work chairside as dentists examine and treat patients. They make patients as comfortable as possible in the dental chair, prepare them for treatment, and obtain their dental records. Assistants hand instruments and materials to dentists and keep patients’ mouths dry and clear by using suction or other devices. Assistants also sterilize and disinfect instruments and equipment, prepare trays of instruments for dental procedures, and instruct patients on postoperative and general oral health care.

Some dental assistants prepare materials for impressions and restorations, take dental x rays, and process x-ray film as directed by a dentist. They also may remove sutures, apply topical 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, 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 and materials.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition, Dental Assistants,  on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos163.htm.