5 Weekend Dental Assisting Certificate Program

Dental Assisting Program

Note:  This is an 80 hour course over 5 weekends, excluding holidays.

Dental assisting is a challenging and rewarding career, demanding versatility and a willingness to assume responsibility for many different tasks. With this personal interaction, comes the personal satisfaction of knowing you’ve really helped someone by helping to provide a valuable health service. Dental assistants greatly increase the efficiency of the dentist in the delivery of quality oral health care and are valuable members of the dental care team.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

The duties of a dental assistant are among the most comprehensive and varied in the dental office. The dental assistant performs many tasks requiring both interpersonal and technical skills. Although state regulations vary, responsibilities may include:

• charting (anatomy)
• passing and receiving instruments
• retracting tissue/ apply suction to assist better vision of the operating field chair-side assisting the dentist during a variety of treatment procedures
• infection control protocol
• asking about the patient’s medical history
• taking vitals
• instrument identification
• preparing tray set-ups
• mixing materials
• taking and developing dental radiographs (X-rays)
• sterilizing instruments
• sterilizing equipment/equipment care
• handpiece care
• helping patients feel comfortable before, during and after dental treatment
• providing patients with instructions for oral care following surgery or other dental treatment procedures, such as the placement of a restoration (filling)
• teaching patients appropriate oral hygiene strategies to maintain oral health (e.g., tooth brushing, flossing and nutritional counseling)
• taking impressions of patients’ teeth for study casts (models of teeth)
• communicating with patients and suppliers (e.g. scheduling appointmentsanswering the telephone, billing and ordering supplies)
• helping to provide direct patient care in all dental specialties, including
• orthodontics, pediatric dentistry, periodontics and oral surgery