Main Content:
Dental Assistant
Program Overview:
A dental assistant is a vital member of the dental health team and enjoys a broad range of exciting and challenging duties. The common duties of a dental assistant include: treatment room and patient preparation and management, directly assisting the dentist at chairside with operative dental procedures, dental infection control procedures, performing dental laboratory procedures, providing patient oral care instruction, performing dental business practice procedures, and performing tasks related to hazard control and management . In Minnesota a qualified dental assistant may be delegated expanded functions which are a group of procedures the assistant may perform independently on a patient. Examples of expanded functions include: mechanically polishing the teeth, taking radiographs, applying pit and fissure sealants, taking impressions, tying-in orthodontic wires (braces), applying topical fluoride, fabricating and cementing temporary crowns, and administering nitrous oxide-oxygen sedation The Dental Assistant major is designed to provide the student with the technical knowledge, manual skills, clinical experiences, communication skills, and positive attitudes toward work required to make the graduate a valuable member of the dental health care profession. The program prepares the student to function in both general and specialty dental practices. Visit us at http://www.rctc.edu/program/da/.
Curriculum-at-a-Glance:
Coursework includes: Dental Communications, Dental Science I and II, Chairside Assisting I and II, Dental Infection Control, Dental Radiology, Expanded Functions I and II, Dental Materials, Preventive Dentistry, and Dental Practice Management. Clinical experience is obtained in the technically current dental clinic. The clinic has a reception area and business office, 18 operatories equipped for four-handed dentistry, a recirculation/ sterilization room, a darkroom for processing x-rays, and a complete dental laboratory. Patients come to the dental clinic for tooth polishing, fluoride treatments, dental x-rays, pit and fissure sealants and personal oral care instruction. A dentist is on staff to aid in the direct instruction and supervision of students, along with dentists from the community who give guest presentations. In the final semester of the program, students will further their clinical experience through three assigned internships in different dental offices in southeastern Minnesota. The internships are approximately three weeks each, with two in general dental practices, and one in a specialty dental practice. Upon successful completion of the Dental Assistant program, graduates are eligible to sit for the Minnesota licensure exam and the national certification exam for dental assistants. For more detailed program information, refer to RCTC’s program course requirements at http://www.rctc.edu/catalog/programs/index.html.
Program / Degree Options:
RCTC’s Dental Assistant program offers both a 47-credit diploma option and also a 64-credit Associate in Applied Science degree option. The diploma option may be completed in one full calendar year, or taken part-time in two years. Taking the program in one calendar year will be a heavy academic load so students are advised to limit part-time work to weekends. A limited number of part-time program options are available annually. A 13-credit Expanded Functions certificate program is available for dental assistants who have already earned the credential of a certified dental assistant but who have not yet earned the credential of a Minnesota licensed dental assistant.
Program Start Date(s):
In order to complete the diploma program in one year, students must start the Dental Assistant program fall semester. Students who wish to complete the AAS program may start the general education courses in any semester.
Career Information:
The career outlook for Certified and Licensed Dental Assistants in Minnesota is excellent. Dental Assisting is a career that includes excellent work schedules, attractive compensation packages, a pleasant work environment and is in high demand throughout the United States. A dental assistant may be employed in a general dental practice or a specialty dental practice. The dental specialties include: Pediatric Dentistry, Orthodontics, Oral and Maxillo-Facial Surgery, Endodontics, Periodontics and Prosthodontics. Another employment option involves the type of dental care delivery. A dental assistant may be employed in: solo or group dental practices, hospital dentistry, research institutions, government dental facilities, and dental training facilities. Some employment opportunities exist for dental product manufacturers and dental supply companies.
Gainful Employment Programs:
Gainful employment programs are those “that prepare students for gainful employment in a recognized occupation.” Public institutions are required to report this information for all undergraduate and graduate programs that are Title IV eligible and that lead to certificates, diplomas, graduate certificates or specialist awards. Reporting is not required for undergraduate certificates and diplomas less than 16 credits and graduate certificates and specialist awards that are less than 8 credits. Degree programs at all levels are not considered to be gainful employment programs.
RCTC gainful employment information for Dental Assistant Diploma:
http://www.rctc.edu/catalog/ge/DENTALASST.pdf
Articulations / Accreditations:
The RCTC Dental Assistant program is accredited by the ADA Commission on Dental Accreditation. Graduates from the RCTC Dental Assistant program are eligible to take two credentialing board exams: a national certification exam to earn the title of a Certified Dental Assistant and a state board exam to earn the title of a Minnesota Licensed Dental Assistant.
For additional information on the most current list of RCTC program articulations see us at: http://www.rctc.edu/catalog/articulations/.
The RCTC Dental Assistant program is accredited by the ADA Commission on Dental Accreditation. Graduates from the RCTC Dental Assistant program are eligible to take two credentialing board exams: a national certification exam to earn the title of a Certified Dental Assistant and a state board exam to earn the title of a Minnesota Licensed Dental Assistant.
Additional Information:
Program Pre-admission Requirements: College-level reading/writing competency; one full year of high school biology or one semester college biology with a grade of C or better. Program Course Requirements: Verification of Approved MN Department of Human Services and National Background Studies. Current certification in Professional Rescuer Level CPR/AED through the American Red Cross or the American Heart Association. Clinical & Laboratory Health & Safety Provisions: RCTC and the Dental Assistant Program comply with mandated and recommended health and safety policies to ensure a safe learning and working environment for students, staff, and patients. The RCTC Bloodborne and Infectious Disease Policy is accessible by entering RCTC Policy 6.4.4 in the search box on the RCTC website. Upon entering the Dental Assistant Program, students will be given a copy of the RCTC Dental Assistant Program Lab/Clinic Manual, which details all program policies relating to infection control, hazards management, and safety in the lab and clinical settings.
Dental Assistant Program Application (PDF)
Updated: February 1, 2012 2:58 PM
