The 8 -unit Fundamental Dental Assisting Certificate of Achievement is an entry level workforce preparation program that prepares students for employment as a dental assistant in basic chairside assisting and front office procedures. The courses are prerequisites to the level II Dental Assisting Certificate of Achievement that prepares students to become licensed dental assistants, as well as the dental assistant Associate in Science degree.
The student learning outcomes include:
Upon completion of the program the dental assistant student will be prepared to:
Provide comprehensive dental assisting care to individuals from diverse socioeconomic, educational, and cultural backgrounds according to state regulations in a safe and ethical manner.
Assist in the clinical setting with dental treatment procedures while assuming responsibility for prevention of disease transmission in the work environment.
Responsibilities include: using dental instruments and materials, taking and processing dental radiographs, taking impressions and performing many other dental procedures within the scope of dental assisting practice in the state of California.
Perform front office duties including communicating with patients, other health professionals, dental suppliers, business contacts and insurance companies, scheduling appointments, managing insurance and/or financial aspects of the dental practice and using dental management software systems.
The Dental Assistant curriculum is planned in sequence. Satisfactory completion of all courses with a grade of “C” or better in a given semester is required before the student may continue to the level II Dental Assistant Program. All required courses in each semester are co-requisites and prerequisites for the subsequent semester. Students must satisfactorily complete all of the courses in the Dental Assistant Program according to the State of California Dental Practice Act guidelines for curriculum.
Enrollment | Completers | |
---|---|---|
Fall 2021 | 20 | |
Spring 2022 | 25 | 15 |
Fall 2022 | 30 | 20 |
Spring 2023 | 30 | 25 |
Fall 2023 | 30 | 28 |
The fundamentals of Dental Assisting 8-unit CTE certificate of achievement is intended for workforce preparation and is a level I certificate. The program prepares students for employment as a dental assistant in basic chairside assisting and front office procedures.
Master Planning:
This program fits into the college mission in that West education enriches students with the knowledge and skills needed to earn certificates and undergraduate degrees, to transfer, to build careers, and to pursue life-long learning.
Place of Program in Curriculum/ Similar Programs:
Programs | Certificate of Achievement Level I | Certificate Of Achievement Level II | Degree |
---|---|---|---|
Dental Assisting | Fundamentals of Dental Assisting CoA | Dental Assisting CoA | Dental Assisting AS |
Pharmacy Technician | Basic Pharmacy Techinician | Advanced Pharmacy Technician | Pharmacy Technician AS |
Medical Assisting | Medical Assisting Administrative | Medical Assisting Clinical | Medical Assisting AS |
Paramedicine | Emergency Medical | Paramedic CoA | Paramedicine AS |
Course | Title | Units | Year/Semester (Y1 or S1) |
---|---|---|---|
Den AST 001 | Orientation to Dental Assisting | 2 units | S1 |
Den AST 007 | Infection Control for the Dental Setting | 1 unit | S1 |
Den AST 013 | Practice Managemengt | 2 units | S1 |
Den AST 008 or Den AST 012 | Introduction to Dental Radiology or Dental Assisting Clinical Sciences | 3 units | S1 |
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