Dental Assisting, Diploma

Campus: Scott Community College

A Dental Assistant performs a wide range of tasks requiring both interpersonal and technical skills.  These individuals help the dentist at chairside and also perform functions such as polishing teeth, taking and developing dental radiographs, mixing materials, and sterilizing instruments.  Some assistants also manage the office and patient accounts, schedule appointments, and purchase supplies.  The dental assistant may seek career opportunities in private dental offices, research, teaching, clinics, hospitals, sales and insurance claims, and specialty practices such as orthodontics, pediatric dentistry, periodontics, endodontics, and oral surgery. The program provides a practicum in both general and specialty dental offices during the second and third semesters.

Students may also begin this program in the spring term with slight modifications to the course sequence.

The Dental Assisting program prepares students to sit for the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB) examination and the Iowa Board of Dental Examiners Radiography, Infection Control, and Jurisprudence State Board examinations. See Professional Licensure for more information.

The program in Dental Assisting is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) of the American Dental Association (ADA) [and has been granted the accreditation status of “approval without reporting requirements”]. The Commission is a specialized accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education. The Commission on Dental Accreditation can be contacted at 312-440-4653 or at 211 East Chicago Ave., Chicago, IL 60611. The Commission’s web address is: http://www.ada.org/100.aspx.

In addition to the general admission requirements of the college, applicants to this program must meet specific program admission criteria. The application process and admission requirements for the Dental Assisting program can be found at www.eicc.edu/dental.

Program Learning Outcomes 

Upon completion of the Dental Assisting program, students will be able to: 

1. Demonstrate efficient operation of the dental office through utilization and application of office management skills.  
2. Perform required laboratory skills associated with various dental procedures. 
3. Apply principles of radiation hygiene, ensuring patient and operator protection, while using current techniques to obtain quality diagnostic radiographs.
4. Perform duties relating to infection control as mandated by OSHA before, during and after dental procedures.  
5. Prepare the operatory and assist at chairside with preventive, diagnostic, operative and specialty procedures.  
6. Provide oral health instruction to dental patients. 
7. Assist in the management of medical and dental emergencies.  
8. Demonstrate a working knowledge of the human body with emphasis on the head and neck region including structure, function, and basic pathologies.