Dental Assisting (5649)

Workforce Certificate

Note: In addition to the membership application above (“Apply for this Program Now”), students must also follow the Application Procedure for this program.

The Career

Dental assistants are versatile members of the dental health team who work alongside the dentist. In many states, dental assistants are assigned patient care responsibilities beyond the duties traditionally performed by the dental auxiliary.

The Program

This program provides students with the theoretical, practical and clinical skills including dental basic sciences, dental radiographic techniques, dental materials, sterilization and disease control, chairside assisting, office management, dental specialties and expanded duties. The Dental Assisting program has been approved by the Florida Board of Dentistry to offer certification in expanded duties and dental radiology. One class is admitted each August.

Internships/Rotations

Your clinical rotations are scheduled in private dental offices and clinics, including specialty practices such as endodontics, oral surgery, and orthodontics.

Career Opportunities, Rapid Placement

There is a desperate need for talented dental assistants. New protocols help us retain our natural teeth through longer lifetimes. Society’s emphasis on an attractive mouth has made dental care trendy as well as important, and dental assisting is projected to be one of the fastest growing occupations through 2014, especially in Florida.

Annual Salaries

Full or part-time dental assistants average $8 to $12 an hour, with some earning more than $18 an hour.

Certification and Licensing

The Dental Assisting program has been approved by the Florida Board of Dentistry to prepare students for certification in expanded duties and dental radiology.

Application Procedure

Submit the following:

1. official high school transcript/GED scores,
2. the Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE) is a major criterion in a student’s completion of the program. Students who fail to meet the State of Florida’s designated exit score will be required to complete Vocational Preparatory Instruction (VPI). In order to complete the program successfully, students must achieve or surpass the designated exit score(s). (See Standards of Academic Progress.)
3. completion of application form for dental assisting program.

Cost

Estimated cost of tuition is $2,299 (tuition rated for Florida residents, as of 7/06). Contact the program manager for additional costs (materials, fees, textbooks).

Need More Information? Contact:

Jeffrey Smith, North Campus, 904.766.6571

More Information Online

American Dental Association

Curriculum

Course Number and Title Professional Courses		Contact Hours	Workforce Credits
*VPI 0100	Basic Reading Skills
*VPI 0200	Basic Mathematical Skills
*VPI 0300	Basic Language Skills
DEA 0745	Radiology I	80	2.50
DEA 0022	Introduction to Microbiology	32	1.00
DEA 0746	Pharmacology and Dental Office Emergencies	32	1.00
DES 0103	Dental Materials	64	2.00
DES 0020	Dental and Head/Neck Anatomy	48	1.50
DEA 0023	Preclinical Procedures	112	3.50
DEA 0001	Clinical Practice I	48	1.50
HCP 0001	Health Careers Core	90	3.00
DEA 0211	Radiology II	64	2.00
DES 0044	Oral Pathology	32	1.00
DEA 0301	Dental Nutrition	16	0.50
DEA 0311	Dental Health Education	32	1.00
DEA 0801	Expanded Duties	80	2.50
DES 0501	Practice Management	32	1.00
DES 0400	Anatomy/Physiology for Dental Assistants	32	1.00
**DEA 0029C	Clinical Practice II	136	4.50
DEA 0850C	Clinical Practice III	300	10.00
	Total Contact Hours	1,230	39.50

*Students who have satisfactory test scores are not required to take these courses.
**A current Basic Life Support (CPR) certificate (eight hour course) must be completed prior to registering for DEA 0029C.

Record of Conviction of a Crime

Clinical agencies may require students to undergo drug screening and criminal background checks prior to placement in the agencies for clinical experiences. Students whose drug screening and criminal background checks are unsatisfactory may be denied access to clinical experiences by the clinical agencies. Withdrawal from the program may be necessary if students cannot be placed for clinical experiences.

Students who are unable to complete the clinical requirements after acceptance into selective access programs are not eligible for refunds of tuition.

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