DENTAL ASSISTING
PROGRAM COSTS: Varies
COURSE CONTACT HOURS: 750
PROGRAM DURATION: 6 Months
EXTERNSHIP AVAILABLE: Yes
The Dental Assisting Profession
The Dental Assisting Program prepares students for entry-level positions in one of the fastest growing healthcare professions – Dental Assisting. With the national increase in healthcare-related services, and the national shortage of healthcare professionals, the need for dental assistants is growing substantially. With a growing workforce over 300,000 strong, a career in dental assisting ranks as the fourth fastest growing occupation in the healthcare technician field. To meet our nation’s growing medical demands, recent studies indicate that over 400,000 assistants will be employed by 2022.
The Dental Assisting Program
The program prepares students for entry-level positions as a chair-side dental assistant. This course covers the history of dentistry, introduction to the dental office, the legal aspects of dentistry, introduction to oral anatomy, dental operatory, introduction to tooth structure (primary and permanent teeth), the oral cavity; and other areas. The purpose of this program is to familiarize students with all areas of administrative and clinical dental assisting focusing on the responsibilities required to function as an assistant in a dental practice. This course covers the following key areas and topics:Introduction to the dental office and history of dentistry and dental assisting
- Introductory oral anatomy, dental operatory, and dental equipment
- Introductory tooth structure including primary and permanent teeth
- The oral cavity and related structures
- Dental handpieces, sterilization, and other areas
Certification Opportunities
Detailed Course Information
- The dental assisting profession and the history of Dental anatomy and physiology
- Tooth charting, tooth surfaces, and classification of restorations on a tooth
- Parts of the jaw and areas of the mouth
- Oral health and preventions of dental disease
- Infection control in dentistry and occupational health and safety
- Patient information and assessment
- Foundation of clinical dentistry
- Dental radiology
- Single crown restoration, bridge, implant, partial denture, and full denture
- Dental equipment, accessories and the treatment room
- Dental hand pieces and accessories
- Dental cements and impression materials
- Coding of radiology services and the use of ICD-9-CM codes
- Assisting in comprehensive dental care
- Dental administration and communication skills
Education and Certifications
- Students should have or be pursuing a high school diploma or GED.
- There are several National Certification exams that are available to students who successfully complete
this program: - Dental Assisting National Board (DANB) National Entry Level Dental Assistant (NELDA) exam
- DANB’s NELDA certification consists of three component exams:
- Dental Assisting National Board (DANB) Radiation Health and Safety (RHS) exam
- Dental Assisting National Board (DANB) Infection Control (ICE) exam
- Dental Assisting National Board (DANB) Anatomy, Morphology and Physiology (AMP) exam
CPR, BLS or ACLS from a DANB-accepted provider
CPR certification voucher will be provided to students for CPR class by a DANB accepted provider
Technical Requirements
- Windows 7, XP or Vista
- 56K modem or higher
- Soundcard & Speakers
- Firefox, Chrome or Microsoft Internet Explorer
MAC OS USERS
- Mac OS X or higher (in classic mode)
- 56K modem or higher
- Soundcard & Speakers
- Apple Safari
System will support the two latest releases of each browser. When using older versions of a browser, users risk running into problems with the course software.
- Windows Users: Firefox, Chrome, Explorer
- Mac OS Users: Safari, Chrome, Firefox
We recommend setting your screen resolution to 1024 x 768 pixels.
SUGGESTED PLUGINS
- Flash Player
- Real Player
- Adobe Reader
- Java
U.S. Department of Labor
Career Information
The information below provides helpful job information, statistics and projections for this program’s related career tracts.
| Career | Median Salary | Job Openings | Growth Rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | $38,390 | 186,600 | -1% to 1% | |
Description |
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| Compute, classify, and record numerical data to keep financial records complete. Perform any combination of routine calculating, posting, and verifying duties to obtain primary financial data for use in maintaining accounting records. May also check the accuracy of figures, calculations, and postings pertaining to business transactions recorded by other workers. | ||||
| Job Titles Include | ||||
| Account Clerk, Accounting Assistant, Accounting Associate, Accounting Clerk, Accounting Specialist, Accounting Technician, Accounts Payable Clerk, Accounts Payable Specialist, Accounts Payables Clerk, Accounts Receivable Clerk | ||||
Wages |
Bottom 15% | Median Salary | Top 10% | |
| United States | $23,880 | $38,390 | $59,630 | |
Employment |
current employment 2016 | projected job openings 2016 - 2026 | projected growth 2016 - 2026 | |
| United States | 1,731,000 | 186,600 | -1% to 1% | |
typical tasks |
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| New Accounts Clerks | $34,990 | 4,000 | -2% or lower | |
Description |
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| Interview persons desiring to open accounts in financial institutions. Explain account services available to prospective customers and assist them in preparing applications. | ||||
| Job Titles Include | ||||
| Administrative Assistant, Customer Service Representative, Financial Services Representative, Loan Processor, Member Service Representative, New Accounts Representative, Personal Banker, Relationship Manager, Retail Banker, Retail Service Representative | ||||
Wages |
Bottom 15% | Median Salary | Top 10% | |
| United States | $25,990 | $34,990 | $50,010 | |
Employment |
current employment 2016 | projected job openings 2016 - 2026 | projected growth 2016 - 2026 | |
| United States | 42,000 | 4,000 | -2% or lower | |
typical tasks |
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