Dental Assisting

• DA101 4 credits

  Dental Assisting I

  Covers practical dental assisting skills including current professional trends, dental terminology, oral assessment, the use of dental instruments and the various procedures used by dentists, dental asepsis techniques, patient education, legal and ethical issues, the collection of clinical data, and patient psychology as it relates to anxiety and pain management. Skills practice occurs during lab component. Prerequisite: Acceptance into the Dental Assistant program.

• DA101A 1 credit

  Dental Assisting I Lab

  Introduces the various operations within a dental office including reception duties, bookkeeping, and chairside dental assisting. Covers the names of instruments used by a dentist; basic chairside procedures (saliva evacuation, assisting during restorative treatment, and four-handed dentistry); and intermediate chairside skills (taking alginate impressions and x-ray film placement on a dental mannequin).Prerequisites: Concurrent or prior enrollment in DA101; or departmental approval.

• DA102 4 credits

  Dental Assisting II

  Builds on material learned in DA101, and provides an in-depth focus of specific, practical dental assisting skills in dental specialties. Topics covered in class will be the major dental specialties of oral surgery, endodontics, periodontics, prosthodontics, and orthodontics. Students will also learn how to perform soft-tissue examinations and collect vital statistics. Anatomical content covered will include the muscles, nerves, glands and bones of the head and neck; the structures and tissues that make up the oral cavity; and the development, tissues morphology and functions of the teeth. Prerequisites: DA101 and DA101A or departmental approval.

• DA102A 1 credit

  Dental Assisting II Lab

  Builds on material learned in DA101A. Provides in-depth view of specific, practical dental assisting skills in dental specialties. Students will repeat certain chairside skills with an expectation of greater proficiency, and learn to perform soft-tissue examinations and collect vital statistics. Prerequisites: DA101, DA101A; concurrent or prior enrollment in DA102; or department approval.

• DA103 2 credits

  Dental Materials

  Covers impression materials, model and die materials, fabrication of dental trays, preventive dental materials, aesthetic and restorative dental materials, amalgam, dental cements, waxes, and temporary restorative materials. Prerequisites: Concurrent or prior enrollment in DA101, DA101A and DA202 or departmental approval.

• DA104 2 credits

  Dental Administration

  Covers office management and administrative skills in a dental setting. Includes communication, written correspondence, patient relations, team communications, patient clinical records, information management, patient scheduling and recall systems, dental insurance processing, inventory management, financial arrangements, collection procedures, accounts receivable and payable, and employment strategies. Prerequisites: DA102 and DA102A or departmental approval.

• DA105 2 credits

  Legal and Ethical Issues in Dentistry

  Exposes students to a variety of legal and ethical dilemmas, helping them become more prudent and confident dental professionals. Includes the legal system, the legal rights that define relationships between individuals, quality assurance, office protocols and patient records, and legal issues that affect employment. Prerequisites: DA101, DA102 or departmental approval.

• DA106 2 credits

  Dental and Medical Emergency Management

  Covers routine preparedness for dental team members; the dental assistant’s role in emergency care; managing a dental office emergency kit; the ABCs of CPR (airway/breathing/circulation); foreign body airway obstruction; and the causes, signs, and treatment of medical emergencies. Prerequisites: DA101, DA102 or departmental approval.

• DA150 1 credits

  Introduction to Practicum and Seminar

  Provides an extensive overview of office responsibilities, work ethics and prepares students for the challenges of their multiple roles in the dental office including guest, intern, student worker, administrative assistant, chairside assistant, and housekeeping worker. Duties assigned in a dental practicum are based on students’ skill levels and the work needs of the host sites. Prerequisites: DA101, DA101A, concurrent or prior enrollment in DA102 and DA102A, or departmental approval.

• DA152 DA153 4 credits each

  Practicum and Seminar in Dental Assisting I/II

  Provides hands-on clinical experience. Students work an average of 10 hours per week (100 hours per term) in a host site as part of the dental team. Duties will be assigned according to skill levels and the work needs of the host site. Mid-level duties, which may include exposing and processing radiographs, taking alginate impressions and pouring stone models, and assisting during surgical procedures are appropriate for students enrolled in DA152. Advanced-level duties, which may include lab-work preparation for the expanded function class, are appropriate for students enrolled in DA153. Students are also required to attend three seminars during the term (an orientation, mid-term and final). Moderated by an instructor, the seminars are designed to define expectations, discuss progress, evaluate, and improve future practicum experience. Prerequisites: DA152: DA150, DA201, DA202, and concurrent or prior enrollment in DA106 and DA201A, or departmental approval. Prerequisites for DA153: Successful completion of all courses in the first three terms od the cohort and prior or concurrent enrollment in all classed in the fourth term.

• DA201 4 credits

  Dental Radiology

  Prepares students for two Dental Assisting National Board (DANB) exams: the written Radiation Health and Safety exam and the Clinical exam. Covers the sections of radiation safety for the patient, radiation safety for the operator, exposing and evaluating radiographs, processing films, and mounting and labeling radiographs. Successful completion of both exams earns students a certificate in Radiologic Proficiency from the state of Oregon, which legally allows the student to expose radiographs. Successful completion of both exams also fulfills one of DANB’s three components. Prerequisite: DA202 or deparmental approval, or continuing education pathway requirement of MTH20, RD30, WR30 and proof of six months of recent, continuous, full-time employment as a chairside dental assistant.

• DA201A 1 credit

  Radiology Lab

  Prepares students for the Dental Assisting National Board’s (DANB) Clinical exam in Radiologic Proficiency. Successful completion of this exam is one of two requirements to earn a Certificate in Radiologic Proficiency from the state of Oregon, which legally allows students to expose radiographs. Successful completion of both radiology requirements also fulfills one of DANB’s three Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) components. Prerequisite: DA102, DA102A, DA202 or department approval, or continuing education pathway requirement of MTH20, RD30, WR30 and proof of six months of recent, continuous, full-time employment as a chairside dental assistant.

• DA202 2 credits

  Infection Control

  Prepares students for Dental Assisting National Board (DANB) Infection Control exam, a component of the Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) certification. Covers the sections of patient and worker education, prevention of cross contamination, maintaining aseptic conditions, performing sterilization procedures, environmental asepsis, and occupational safety. Corequisite: Concurrent or prior enrollment in DA103 or departmental approval.

• DA203 2 credits

  Chairside Assisting

  Prepares students for Dental Assisting National Board exams, either state certification through the Oregon Basic exam or the DANB General Chairside exam, a component of the Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) certification. The second is certification at the national level. Students are only eligible to take the General Chairside exam if they have worked at least 3,500 hours as on-the-job-trained chairside assistants or if they have attended a dental assisting program accredited by the American Dental Association. The class includes the following sections: Collection and recording of clinical data; chairside dental procedures; oral anatomy; chairside dental materials (preparation, manipulation, application); lab materials and procedures; patient education and oral health management; infection control procedures; occupation safety; legal issues; prevention and management of emergencies; and office management procedures. Prerequisites: Successful completion of all courses in the first two terms of the cohort and successful completion or concurrent enrollment in all classes in the third term, or continuing education pathway requirement of MTH20, RD30, WR30, and proof of six months of recent, continuous, full-time employment as a chairside dental assistant.

• DA204 2 credits

  Expanded Functions Dental Assistant

  Prepares students for the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB) written exam in expanded functions for the chairside dental assistant (EFDA). Expanded functions are determined by the Oregon Board of Dentistry and may change without prior notice. Prepares students in the sections of placing matrix bands; polishing amalgam fillings; cement removal; taking impressions; coronal polishing; and fabricating temporary crowns. Certification in expanded functions will occur once a student: 1) passes the Oregon Basic Dental Assisting exam or the national DANB Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) exam; 2) passes the written EFDA exam; and 3) provides the required certification from a licensed dentist stating that the applicant has completed clinical requirements. Prerequisites: Concurrent enrollment in DA204A and successful completion of all courses in the first three terms of the cohort, and concurrent enrollment in all classes in the fourth term, or continuing education pathway requirement of MTH20, RD30, WR30 and proof of six months of recent, continuous, full-time employment as a chairside dental assistant.

• DA204A 1 credit

  Expanded Functions Dental Assistant Lab

  Prepares students for the clinical skills associated with the Dental Assisting National Board's expanded functions for the chairside dental assistant (EFDA). Expanded functions are determined by the Oregon Board of Dentistry and may change without prior notice. Prerequisites: Concurrent enrollment in DA204 and successful completion of the first three terms of the cohort and concurrent enrollment in all classes in the fourth term.