The Dental Assisting Certificate program prepares graduates to perform a wide range of patient care duties in the dental office. Dental assistants support dentists by obtaining necessary health history information, maintaining patient comfort during examinations, providing necessary instruments and materials to the dentist during procedures, taking radiographs, and casting impressions. The dental assistant manages a variety of office-related duties including scheduling and confirming appointments, updating patient records, generating bills, following third-party payments, and ordering supplies and materials. A significant increase in demand for dental services over the next three to five years suggests strong employment opportunities in this field.
The curriculum provides students with the theoretical content and pre-clinical and laboratory experiences necessary to develop the competence and ability to make judgments regarding intra-oral, chair-side, laboratory procedures and business office procedures. In addition, students will be required to complete a series of clinical rotations arranged by CCCC in a variety of general and specialty dental practices.
A GPA of 2.0 or above and completion of all clinical hours, competencies, and clinical learning activities/requirements are required to obtain a certificate from the program.
Graduates will be eligible to apply for a dental assisting license in the state of Massachusetts. Graduates can then go on and become Certified Dental Assistants by taking the DANB Dental Assistant National Board exam, Pathway II after fulfilling the requirement hours in the field.
Requirements
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job outlook for dental assistants is promising. The median annual wage for dental assistants was $44,820 in May 2022. Job Outlook Employment of dental assistants is projected to grow 7 percent from 2022 to 2032, faster than the average for all occupations. About 55,100 openings for dental assistants are projected each year, on average, over the decade.
Upon successful completion of the Dental Assisting Certificate program, graduates will be prepared to:
- Practice and apply safe and aseptic delivery of patient care.
- Communicate effectively with patients and health care professionals in coordinating and providing patient care including the use of technology and practice management techniques.
- Utilize critical thinking, decision making, and problem-solving skills in the provision of evidence-based practice, under the direction and supervision of the dentist.
- Apply the Dental Assisting National Board’s (DANB) Code of Professional Conduct in all endeavors and conduct themselves with the highest levels of professionalism, ethics and personal integrity.
- Adhere to state and federal laws, recommendations, and regulations in the provision of oral health care.
- Provide care to all patients using an individualized approach that is culturally sensitive, compassionate, and patient-centered.
- Internalize the value of lifelong learning and understand the importance of remaining current as the dental health care delivery system and technology change.
- Participate in preventive dental care and support oral health.
Technical standards for students in the Dental Assisting Program
- All applicants and students must possess computer skills for student success.
- All applicants and students must possess the manual dexterity and visual capacity to perform all required technical procedures and properly manipulate materials and dental instruments.
- Students must be able to communicate in an effectual manner. Students will be required to read and comprehend technical material, as well as write technical reports in a clear and concise manner.
- All students must be able to verbally communicate effectively, and respectfully with patients, co-workers, and other dental personnel.
Each applicant needs to assess his/her own ability to meet the above technical standards.
Students must achieve a minimum score of 75% final average and must be in attendance 90% of the lab sessions (unless there is an excused absence) to be eligible to register for their externships and to sit for their final exams.