Students will study the history of dentistry, introduction to the dental team, education and certification requirements, organizations that govern practice of dentistry, anatomy and physiology, embryology, histology, morphology, charting symbols, dental charting, preparation for patient care, dental ethics and jurisprudence.
The focus of this course is to introduce soft and job-seeking skills needed to succeed in the workplace. Topics include skills related to dress and professional behaviors. This course discusses methods the employee needs to use to handle stress, manage emotions, be trustworthy, resolve conflict, and interact successfully with patients, peers, and supervisors. Also included are skills used while speaking and writing professionally, while in school and after school on the job. Students learn skills needed to manage income by deciding needs and spending wisely. Development of a résumé and practicing interviewing skills are also included in this course.
Students will learn about medical emergencies in the dental office and become certified in CPR. Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation is a Basic Life Support course for Healthcare Providers approved by the American Heart Association. This course will also cover infection control, disease transmission, sterilization, disinfection, OSHA guidelines, preventative dentistry, fluoride, oral hygiene, nutrition, pharmacology and psychology as it relates to communicating and working with patients.
A formalized course in cardiopulmonary resuscitation leading to CPR recognition in Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers by the American Heart Association. The student receives instruction in the assessment and the management of medical emergencies in the dental office.
Students will learn to seat and dismiss patients. They will practice instrument transfer, oral evacuation and retraction, study pain control, anesthesia and sedation. Students will be able to identify instruments, know their uses and properly care for handpieces. They will learn dental cements, their properties and how to mix cements. Student will learn how to clean traps and evacuate dental lines.
Students learn to produce quality diagnostic x-rays. They expose six full-mouth x-ray series, including bitewings, using two different techniques on both teaching mannequins and patients. Students also learn techniques for manual processing and duplication of radiographs. Extraoral occlusal radiography is also included.
In this course students will identify equipment, learn film sizes, film placement, duplication, infection control for radiology. They will learn both manual and automatic film processing and how to clean and fill automatic and manual processors. Students will expose and develop parallel, bisecting, bitewing, occlusal, panoramic and digital X-rays. They will learn to identify landmarks, critique and mount X-rays.
This course focuses on such support procedures as anesthetic set-ups, oral evacuation methods and the application of rubber dams. Students also learn the uses of hand pieces and rotary cutting instruments. Students learn about the properties and uses of dental materials, including dental cements, cavity liners and varnishes, as well as amalgam and composite restorative materials. The course will also cover the application of topical fluorides and the use of mouth guards. During this course, students prepare a written report based on the student’s own research of a dental topic. Students give an oral presentation of this report to the class.
Students will be exposing and developing X-rays on live patients and identifying dental caries, restorations, periodontal disease and trauma on X-rays. There will be a group project and presentation on common errors and corrections on X-rays. They will learn matrices, dental dam placement and removal and step by step amalgam and composite procedures.
This course places heavy emphasis on operative dentistry. It concentrates on chair side procedures to include cavity preparation, matrices, amalgam and resin restorations, instrumentation, tray set-ups, and post-operative instructions. Students practice operative procedures step-by-step and learn to assist the dentist in above procedures. Students learn the different types of fixed prosthodontics.
In this course students will learn about different impression materials, take impressions, pour and trim study models, construct a custom tray, make, size, adapt, and seat temporary crowns and a 3 unit bridge.
This course covers the administrative duties of the Dental Assistant. Students learn effective telephone techniques and business equipment operation. They also learn essential office management procedures such as maintaining patient records, scheduling appointments, bookkeeping, processing dental insurance claims, and managing inventory and supplies. Students continue to learn about procedures, instruments, and tray set-ups for various dental specialties, and learn how to give post-operative instructions.
This course covers the administrative duties of the Dental Assistant. Students will use our interactive Dentrix software to learn scheduling, insurance, billing, and other administrative duties. Inventory, patient records, telephone techniques and office management procedures will also be taught. The students will learn the following dental specialties, instrument names and uses: Endodontics, Oral Surgery, Orthodontics, Pediatric Dentistry and Periodontics.
This course is an integral part of the learning experience for the student. Students are assigned to a dental facility in order to gain everyday practical and clinical experience in the duties and functions of a Dental Assistant and to have the opportunity to apply educational training in a clinical environment. Students rotate between a general dentistry and a specialized dentistry office.
This course is an integral part of the learning experience for the student. Students are assigned to a dental facility in order to gain everyday practical and clinical experience in the duties and functions of a Dental Assistant and to have the opportunity to apply educational training in a clinical environment. Students rotate between a general dentistry and a specialized dentistry office.
