Dental Assistant Classes & Training Programs

The Dental Assistant program at North-West College provides the education and training needed to begin a career working in a variety of different dental and oral health care facilities.

Graduates of the program routinely find jobs working in:

The Dental Assistant program will teach you to perform the skills required to work in most dental offices, including patient scheduling, record processing, insurance billing, chairside assisting, x-ray and dental imaging, coronal polishing and more. The program is divided into eight class course modules plus a 180-hour clinical externship where students will apply the skills they learn in the classroom in an actual health care practice setting.

The Dental Assistant program will teach you to perform the skills required to work in most dental offices, including patient scheduling, record processing, insurance billing, chairside assisting, x-ray and dental imaging, coronal polishing and more. The program is divided into eight class course modules plus a 180-hour clinical externship where students will apply the skills they learn in the classroom in an actual health care practice setting.

Professional Ethics Relating to the Dental Assistant, Patient Psychology, Dental Terminology, Oral Anatomy & Physiology, Oral Histology, Office Environment, Secretarial Skills, Telephone Techniques, Scheduling Appointments, Communication Skills, Payroll Information, Budgeting, Banking, Office Management, Rapport with Patients and Fellow Employees, Courtesy and Respect, Introduction to Computers, Word, Excel, Dental Office Management Program, Processing Insurance Claim Forms, Creating Professional Quality Résumés

Chairside Assisting for Four-Handed Dentistry, Use & Care of the Dental Unit, Use & Care of Operatory Equipment, Use & Care of Dental Instruments, Instrument Tray Set-Ups, Oral Pathology, Training in Basic OSHA Rules & Regulations, Various Methods & Techniques of Sterilization & Disinfection, Placement & Removal of Rubber Dams, Placing, Wedging & Removal of Matrices, Placing of Bases & Liners on Sound Dentin, Removal of Excess Cement Supragingivally, Preparing Materials for Restorative Dentistry, Amalgam, Acrylic, Resin, & Various Cements, Medical Office Emergencies

Coronal Polishing, Application of Topical Fluoride, Patient Education in Nutrition, Plaque Control, and Oral Hygiene, Application of Non-Aerosol & Non-Caustic Topical Agents, Placement and Removal of Periodontal Dressings

Techniques Used in Dental Specialties, Placement of Orthodontic Separators, Placement and Removal of Ligatures & Arch Wires, Sizing Orthodontic Bands, Checking for Loose Bands, Taking of Intra-Oral Measurements for Orthodontic Procedures, Seating Adjusted Retainers & Headgear Including Appropriate Instructions, Placement & Removal of Post-Extraction Dressings, Suture Removal, Test Pulp Vitality, Obtain Endodontic Cultures, Dry Canals Previously Opened by the Supervising Dentist, Assisting in the Administration of Nitrous Oxide

X-Ray Safety Techniques, Components of the X-Ray Machine, X-Ray Exposure Techniques, X-Ray Processing Techniques, Use of BAI And XCP Instruments, Instruction in Techniques for Evaluation of Diagnostic Quality X-Rays, Mounting Full Mouth & Bitewing X-Rays, Types of Dental X-Ray Films, Proper Storage & Care of Exposed X-Ray Film

Preparing Impression Materials, Filling Impression Trays & Syringes, Taking Impressions For Diagnostic & Opposing Models, Operation of Hydrocolloid Conditioner, Pouring Models of Tooth & Mouth Structures With The Use of Vibrating Machines, Trimming & Polishing Models, Sizing Stainless Steel Crowns, Fabrication of an Acrylic Temporary Crown

Internship Workshop, Career Readiness Workshops, New Student Orientation, and CPR Certification.

Internship to apply the knowledge and skills learned in the classroom in an actual practice setting.

Dental assistants perform many tasks, ranging from patient care and taking x-rays to record keeping and scheduling appointments. Their duties vary by state and by the dentists’ offices where they work. Graduates of the Dental Assistant program routinely find entry-level positions working in dental offices, clinics and other oral health care facilities.