28 Semester Credits - 720 Clock Hours
Dental assistants perform a variety of clinical, office, and laboratory duties. In their clinical duties, dental assistants work at chairside as dentists examine and treat patients. They make patients as comfortable as possible in the dental chair, prepare them for treatment, and obtain dental records. Assistants hand the dentist the proper instruments and materials and keep patient's mouths dry and clear by using suction and other devices. Assistants also sterilize and disinfect instruments and equipment; prepare tray setups for dental procedures; provide post-operative instruction; and instruct patients in oral health care. Some dental assistants prepare materials for making impressions, expose radiographs, and process dental x-ray film as directed by the dentist. They may remove sutures, apply anesthetic and caries-preventive agents to the teeth and oral tissue, remove excess cement used in the filling process, and place rubber dams on the teeth to isolate them for individual treatment.  Students successfully completing this program are awarded a Dental Assistant Diploma.

• Dental History
• Dental Health Team
• Dental Specialties
• Biodental Science
• Operative Dentistry
  

PHASE II

• Microbiology
• Sterilization
• General Dentistry
• Specialty Dentistry

PHASE III

• Dental Materials
• Preventive Medicine
• Pharmacology
• Medical Emergencies
• Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

PHASE IV

• Dental Practice Act
• Dental Ethics
• Coronal Polish
• RDA Review

PHASE V

• Dental Practice Management
• Front Office, Bookkeeping
• Employment

PHASE VI  

• Dental Radiology
• Laboratory & Clinical Radiology
• Supplemental Techniques
• Clinical Exam

PHASE VII

• Patient Psychology
• Professional Growth
• Automated Office Procedures

 PHASE VIII *

• Pit and Fissure Sealants
• Infection Control
• Ethics

 PHASE IX - Externship                              

*Phase VIII is offered at no additional cost to current DA students