Online Certificate Course with 40-Hour Clinical Externship

The Dental Assistant Profession

The Dental Assistant course prepares students for entry-level positions in one of the fastest growing healthcare professions – Dental Assisting. With the national increase in healthcare-related services, and the national shortage of healthcare professionals, the need for dental assistants is growing substantially. With a growing workforce over 300,000 strong, a career in dental assisting ranks as the fourth fastest growing occupation in the healthcare technician field. To meet our nation’s growing medical demands, recent studies indicate that over 400,000 assistants will be employed by 2022.

The Dental Assistant Online Course

The purpose of this online course is to familiarize students with all areas of administrative and clinical dental assisting focusing on the responsibilities required to function as an assistant in a dental practice. This course covers the following key areas and topics:

• Introduction to the dental office and history of dentistry and dental assisting
• Legal aspects of dentistry including policies and guidelines
• Introductory oral anatomy, dental operatory and dental equipment
• Introductory tooth structure including primary and permanent teeth
• The oral cavity and related structures
• Dental hand-pieces, sterilization, and other areas

Education & Certification

• Dental assistants and aides should have or be pursuing a high school diploma or GED.
• Students who complete this comprehensive course would be prepared to sit for the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB) – Radiation Health and Safety (RHS) exam, and the DANB – Infection Control Exam (ICE).
• In many states, DANB-RHS certification is required to work in dental radiography.
• In addition to facilitating entry-level administrative positions, this course is ideal for students interested in pursuing a future formal dental hygienist program.

Detailed Course Topics Covered

• The dental assisting profession and the history of dentistry
• Dental anatomy and physiology
• Tooth charting, tooth surfaces, and classification of restorations on a tooth
• Parts of the jaw and areas of the mouth
• Oral health and preventions of dental disease
• Infection control in dentistry and occupational health and safety
• Patient information and assessment
• Foundation of clinical dentistry
• Dental radiology
• Single crown restoration, bridge, implant, partial denture and full denture
• Dental equipment, accessories and the treatment room
• Dental hand pieces and accessories
• Dental cements and impression materials
• Coding of radiology services and the use of ICD-10-CM codes
• Assisting in comprehensive dental care
• Dental administration and communication skills

These courses include access to an online community with interactive content and robust student services.

Each online course includes:

• 24/7 instructor support and course mentoring
• Online healthcare content that supplements each course
• Student and instructor collaboration
• Engaging labs, student exercises, course videos and animated simulations
• Student pre and post assessments and online performance tracking
• National and state certification opportunities
• A secure Student Portal which includes: career guidance, resume writing and other career resources
• Includes 40-hour clinical externship

Tuition includes all textbooks, workbooks and related course material.

How to Enroll

For more information, advising and questions call Health Ed Today at (888) 574-6218 or (866) 217-8931. Students may also fill out a pre-registration form by visiting Health Ed Today. Once you enroll, you will be sent detailed instructions and a link to the course. The course must be completed within six months to receive a Certificate of Completion.