For over three decades, Del Mar College's dental assisting program has trained more than 500 students to assist dentists. On Monday, Aug. 16, former and current dental assisting students, faculty and College administrators will recognize the 30th anniversary of the program's first graduating class. The Class of August 1999 will also receive their pins during a ceremony at 7 p.m. in the College's Wolfe Recital Hall, East Campus, Ayers at Kosar. A reception celebrating the program's anniversary will follow in the Patio Room, Fine Arts Center Music Building.
Dental assistants are invaluable because they work beside the dentist as their extra hands.
Demand for dental assistants is expected to grow by 33 percent in Texas over the next six years. That's 700 more job openings that Del Mar can help fill. The College's program is one of only five accredited programs in the state. Students who complete their studies at Del Mar and pass the National Certification Examination, administered by the Dental Assisting National Board, become certified for employment anywhere in the United States. Passing the exam also means students earn certification in Texas to operate dental radiology equipment.