Trident Technical College offers a one year Dental Assisting diploma program to help you make a successful start in a promising health care career. There is currently a shortage of qualified dental assistants in the Trident area. Duties performed by dental assistants are among the most comprehensive and varied in the dental office, requiring both interpersonal and technical skills. A dental assistant may expose and develop dental X-rays, prepare and sterilize instruments and equipment, show patients how to brush and floss, make impressions of patients' teeth, schedule appointments, answer telephones, order supplies, and assist the dentist during a variety of procedures.
Most dental assistants work in dental offices.
Dental assistants also may work in public dentistry settings such as schools, clinics and hospitals, or with insurance companies processing dental claims. Since most dentists employ two or three dental assistants, employment opportunities are abundant. In the Trident area, the demand for qualified dental assistants far exceeds the supply. Many of our graduates begin their careers as dental assistants with competitive salaries. The program includes study in anatomy, dental materials, radiology, dental procedures, office management and dental emergencies.