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DENTAL ASSISTANT

Health Services

Career Outlook

Your New Career
Your Dental Assistant Program will help you gain the wide variety of patient care and office skills you'll need to perform when you are hired.

Earn your Career Diploma at home in as little as six months by studying just an hour a day for your new career.
You'll be ready to enter a field with excellent job opportunities
Dentists will continue to hire assistants to perform routine tasks so that they may maximize their time performing more profitable procedures.

Your New Career Opportunities
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, job prospects for Dental Assistants are projected to grow much faster than the average. In fact, Dental Assistants are expected to be among the fastest growing occupations over the 2008-18 period. Population growth, greater retention of natural teeth by middle-aged and older people, and an increased focus on preventative dental care for younger patients will fuel demand for dental services. Older dentists will be replaced by recent graduates, who are more likely to use one, or even two Dental Assistants. Job openings for Dental Assistants are expected to increase nearly 36% through 2018.*

Your New Skills
You'll learn every important part of being a Dental Assistant:

Working efficiently with the dentist
Communicating effectively with patients
Disinfecting dental tools properly
Managing a dental office

*Growth figures represent a ten-year period ending 2018. Source: "National Industry-Occupation Employment Matrix," a publication of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Program Overview

Learn the skills you need to become a Dental Assistant — at home, at your own pace with the Continuing Education Center.

As a Dental Assistant, you need to know how to manage office operations, understand dental terminology and procedures, schedule appointments, update patient records, and more. The Continuing Education Center Dental Assistant Program can help you learn these skills quickly and conveniently. Your courses include:

Dental Terminology and Anatomy
Law and Ethics
Infection Control
Radiology
Records Management
Dental Insurance
... and others.

And you'll learn it all at home - no classroom needed!

Start a rewarding career in a growing field.
With the right credentials, you can work for a private dental practice, a dental clinic, or even for a federal, state, or local government health agency.

Demand for Dental Assistants will increase nearly 36% through 2018.* Dental Assistants enjoy exciting, varied assignments, steady work schedules, respect and prestige.

State Licensing Requirements
State boards of dentistry may impose a variety of different requirements for dental assistant training. You should contact the state board of dentistry to obtain the requirements applicable to dental assistants in your state.

Contact the Continuing Education Center Today.

Find out more about the Continuing Education center's Dental Assistant training that includes:

All the books, lessons, equipment, and learning aids you need
Toll-free instructional support
Access to student services by website, phone, and mail

*Growth figures represent a ten-year period ending 2018. Source: "National Industry-Occupation Employment Matrix," a publication of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Program Outline

Instruction Sets
Our at-home learning program includes nine Instruction Sets designed to take you step-by-step through the techniques and skills you'll employ in your new career as a Dental Assistant. Your first Instruction Set will be sent to you as soon as your enrollment has been accepted. Other Instruction Sets will follow as you complete your exams, so that you will always have training materials to work with.

You will need access to a Microsoft® Windows®-based computer (running Windows Vista or later) and the Internet in order to complete your program with the Continuing Education Center.

Here is an overview of what you'll learn and the order in which you'll receive your lessons:

Instruction Set 1 (Delivered Online Only)

Learning Strategies
The advantages of learning at home, types of study materials, types of examinations, accessing and using the features of our website, determining what kind of learner you are, establishing a study schedule, using study tips, preparing for and taking examinations.

Introduction to Dentistry and the Dental Assistant
Overview of the dental field and dental history; the dental team and their duties and responsibilities; the role of the dental assistant.

Instruction Set 2

Dental Terminology and Anatomy
Dental terminology; anatomy of the mouth and various parts of the mouth, neck, and throat; the structure of the tooth; types of teeth and their surfaces; charting.

Preventive Dentistry and Nutrition
Preventive dentistry and the role of good nutrition; dental plaque and its role in dental disease; nutrition and the use of vitamins.

Instruction Set 3

Cavity Classification and Charting
Healthy history form; the oral examinations; standardized system of charting dental conditions, tooth identification, and cavity classification; interpreting charting.

Dental Law and Ethics
Dental applications of ethics and the law; ethical issues in dentistry; HIPAA and its purpose; privacy, confidentiality, and security.

Learning Aids: Diagrams I; Red/blue pencil

Instruction Set 4

Dental Operatory: Patients, Instrumentation, Moisture Control
Introduction to the dental operatory; functions of rotary instruments; dental burs, stones, points, and discs; moisture control procedures.

Disease Transmission, Pathology, and Dental Emergencies
Disease transmission and microbiology; the most common dental emergencies and how to respond.

Infection Control
Proper infection control procedures; personnel attire and protective barriers; sterilization and disinfection procedures.

Learning Aids:
• Glasses
• Mouth mirror
• Bur samples
• Evacuator tips samples
• Air/water syringe tip samples
• Cotton roll samples
• Rubber dam material sample
• Napkin and bib clip
• Hu-Friedy Procedural Setup Guide
• Diagrams II
• Diagrams III
• Sample cleaning packets
• Gloves
• Mask sample

Instruction Set 5

OSHA Regulations
How OSHA guidelines influence infection control and what guidelines are relevant to the dental office; proper handling of waste from the dental office.

Radiology 1
Radiology; radiation safety and equipment; responsibilities of the dental staff; protection devices.

Radiology 2
Bisecting technique; properties of diagnostic-quality X-rays; preventing technical faults in radiographs.

Learning Aid: Diagram IV

Instruction Set 6

Pharmacology and Anesthesiology
Basic pharmacology and its relationship to the dental profession; general, local, and topical anesthesia.

Dental Materials 1
Dental materials and how they're used in restorations; principles of cavity preparation.

Dental Materials 2
Continues with dental materials; different impression materials; dental stone and plaster.

Learning Aids:
• Diagrams V
• Dental Mixes

Instruction Set 7

Dental Specialties 1: Endodontics/Periodontics
Stages of endodontic and periodontic treatment; root canal therapy; periodontal examination; dental implants.

Dental Specialties 2: Pediatrics/Orthodontics
Describes the pediatric dental specialty; emergency treatments.

Dental Specialties 3: Prosthodontics/Oral Surgery
Introduces the specialties of prosthodontics and oral surgery; procedures in prosthodontics; explains bridges, crowns, laboratory preparation, infection control; dentures.

Instruction Set 8

Communicating in the Dental Office
Discusses different types of communication; verbal and nonverbal communication techniques.

Business Administration for the Dental Assistant
Scheduling and appointment control; records management; dental charting and terminology; preventive recall; accounts receivable; bookkeeping; dental insurance; collections and payment plans.

Textbook: Business Administration for Dental Assistant

Instruction Set 9

Becoming a Professional
The professional dental assistant image; requirements for dental assisting; proper procedure for getting a job.

Practice Management Software
Students learn to use Practice-Web software, which includes appointment scheduling, clinical and perio charting, patient and insurance billing, and insurance plans.

Learning Aid: Practice Web Software

Online Supplements:
Work Experience Option
Getting a job; forms and materials needed to elect a work experience option; how and where jobs may be found; how to contact a dental office to arrange an interview.

Learning Contract and Student Evaluation
Forms will be filled out and returned to the Continuing Education Center by the dental office where the work experience is being taken; upon completion of the work experience program, the student will then receive a Certificate of Completion for the work experience option.

Graduation Set
(Sent to you when all program requirements and financial obligations have been met.)

Dental Assistant Exam Review Textbook

Online Library and Librarian
Students in the Continuing Education Center have access to an online library for use during their studies. Students can use this library to do the required research in the courses they complete or can use it for general reference and links to valuable resources. The library contains helpful research assistance, articles, databases, books, and Web links. A librarian is available to answer questions on general research-related topics via email and to assist students in research activities during their studies with the Continuing Education Center.

We reserve the right to change program content and materials when it becomes necessary.

Tuition

$898.00

Your tuition includes all books, learning aids, unlimited instructional and student support services.