Dental Assistant

The Dental Assisting Program prepares students for entry-level positions in one of the fastest growing health care professions – Dental Assisting. With the national increase in healthcare-related services, and the national shortage of health care 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.

The purpose of this program is to familiarize students with all areas of administrative and clinical dental assisting and 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
• Legal aspects of dentistry including policies and guidelines
• Introductory oral anatomy, dental operatory, and dental equipment
• Introductory tooth structure including primary and permanent teeth
• The oral cavity and related structures
• Dental hand-pieces, sterilization, and other areas

Certification Opportunities

After completing this program, learners will have the opportunity challenge the leading national/industry-recognized certification exams essential to entry-level employment in this fast-growing field.

	National Workforce Career Association (NWCA) Dental Assistant Clinical Certification (DACC)
	Dental Assisting National Board (DANB) Radiation Health & Safety (RHS)

Clinical Externship Opportunity

Students who complete this program are eligible to participate in an optional volunteer clinical externship opportunity with a local healthcare facility in order to gain valuable hands-on experience. As students progress through their eLearning program, an Externship Coordinator will reach out to coordinate placement. Note: Additional documentation including health records, immunizations, drug-screening, criminal background checks, etc. may be required by the externship facility.