Dental Assistance
Program Summary
Dental assistants perform a variety of patient care, office, and laboratory duties. They work chair-side 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.
Employment Trends
- Job prospects should be excellent.
- Dentists are expected to hire more assistants to perform routine tasks so that they may devote their own time to more profitable procedures.
- Most assistants learn their skills on the job, although an increasing number are trained in dental-assisting programs; most programs take 1 year or less to complete.
Program Objectives
- Successful completion of each course earns a Certificate of Completion
- Skills development and preparation leading to certification exams by the Maryland State Board of Dental Examiners as well as the Dental Radiation Health and Safety Certification
The Maryland State Board of Dental Examiners has approved three pathways to become a Certified Radiation Technician.
- Pathway I: Candidates must be 18 years of age and have three months (300 hrs) in a full time clinical setting in a dental office with direct clinical supervision.
- Pathway II: Candidates must be 18 years of age and take a pre-test for acceptance in radiology course (basic oral anatomy and dental terminology). If a student fails the pre-test, he/she must take a basic dental assistance course. The student must be employed in dental office with direct clinical supervision.
- Pathway III: Candidates require both a basic dental assistance course as well as a radiology course – but not concurrently. They must also work in a clinical setting in a dental office with direct clinical supervision.
Program Curriculum
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Crs #
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Course Name
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Hrs
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HES518
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Introduction to Dental Assisting, Part I
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40
|
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HES519
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Introduction to Dental Assisting, Part II: Radiology
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40
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|
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Program total
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80
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