Orientation to Dentistry:
This unit provides students with information concerning the roles of dentists, registered dental hygienists, dental assistants, and dental laboratory technicians.  Information is also given on the major areas of the dental office and major pieces of equipment.  The dental specialties are taught in this module.

Disinfection and Sterilization:
This unit provides students with information and practice regarding sterilization, disinfection, OSHA standards, instrument and treatment room care.

Dental Anatomy:
Students will learn how to identify primary and permanent teeth, as well as surfaces, parts of teeth and tissue.

Radiography:
Students will be introduced to techniques of taking x-rays and exposing them, as well as operation safety.  Students will then practice taking x-rays and developing them during the remainder of the program.

Instruments and Cements:
Students will learn to identify major hand instruments, burs and handpieces, and learn instrumentation for different dental procedures.  Also, cements will be introduced along with the manipulation of cements and applications for their use.

Introduction to Four-Handed Dentistry:
Students will learn to place and remove rubber dams, perform mouth rinses, place topical ansthetic, instrument transfer, and assist during restorative treatments.  Amalgam and composite restoration will be explored, as well as crown and bridge restoration.

Comfort and Anxiety Control:
Students will learn verbal skills, patient care and care of sharps during anesthesia administration.  Students will also learn how to assemble a syringe, patient education, post operative instruction, and patient hand off procedures for a smooth dental experience. 

Introduction to Specialty Fields:
Students will be familiarized with oral surgery, root canals, scaling and root planning.  Students will also learn removal of sutures.

Diagnostics:
Students will learn how to take impressions, pouring and trimming casts, bruxism and bleaching.

Front Office:
Telephone and appointment book scheduling, addressing patients with verbal skills, creating and managing patient records and files in accordance with the Government Privacy Policy Act and state law will be taught.

Dental Assisting Technologies does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, nationality, or religion.

Applicants are required to have a high school diploma or its equivalent to attend this program.  This program requires proof in the form of a sealed official transcript from the high school that was attended.  The student should contact their school’s guidance dept. to request an official transcript.  If the student completed a GED program or its equivalent, he/she should contact the regulation office of education for the school’s county by mail or fax to request an official transcript.  The student will be considered based on his or her ability to benefit from the program and on his/her ability to perform the duties of a dental assistant position.  A dental professional must be able to physically perform CPR.

Dental Assisting Technologies format consists of 12 Saturday classes.  Each class is 8 hours long, a total of 96 hours.  Each session is comprised of classroom instruction, video aids, and lab and practice opportunity.  Maximum class size is 20 students.  There will be at least one teacher per 10 students (1:10 or 2:20 ratio).

Due to the “fast track” nature of our program, late enrollment is not permitted.  Class attendance and punctuality is imperative.  The inability to attend regularly and on time could result in dismissal.  These policies can be found in our application agreement.

Dress code is as follows:
     A solid color, long sleeve scrub jacket
     A solid color basic scrub top
     A solid color uniform pants
     Clean, white (colored piping is fine) comfortable shoes (nursing/tennis/jogging)
     We ask that body jewelry (facial piercing/tongue studs, etc) be left at home.
     Large jewlery can be damaged and/or affect your passing performance. 
     We ask that they also remain at home.

A certificate of completion from Dental Assisting Technologies will be given to those students that have scored 70% or higher at course end.  In addition, students will also receive an American Heart Association CPR card.  A ceremony will be held at the end of the course to award the certificates of completion.