Dental Assistant

DA101 5 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.

DA102 5 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.

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. Corequisites: DA101.

DA104 2 credits

Dental Administration

Covers office management and administrative skills in a dental setting. Includes communication skills, 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: DA101, DA102.

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.

DA106 3 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.

DA122 2 credits

Spanish for Dental Professionals

Provides non-Spanish-speaking students with functional workplace skills in Spanish using phonetic encoding to address the most important Spanish commands, questions, and phrases critical to Spanish-speaking dental patients. Special attention is given to developing aural comprehension and cultural awareness. No prior knowledge of Spanish is required. Course qualifies as continuing education hours for dental professionals.

DA151/152/153 3 credits each

Practicum and Seminar in Dental Assisting I/II/III

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. Students will participate in three seminars during the term–an orientation seminar, a mid-term seminar, and a concluding seminar, in which they reflect on their work experiences. Students will be expected to expand their skill set during the sequence: entry-level duties are appropriate for students enrolled in DA151; 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 deine expectations, discuss progress, evaluate, and improve future practicum experience. Prerequisites for DA151: DA101; for DA152/DA153: DA101 and DA102.

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: DA101 or 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. Corequisites: DA101.

DA203 3 credits

Chairside Assisting

Prepares students for Dental Assisting National Board’s 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 first three cohort terms and concurrent enrollment in the fourth term.

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; 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: Successful completion of first three cohort terms and concurrent enrollment in the fourth term.