This program prepares its graduates for employment in the dental setting, with emphasis on current concepts of clinical chairside assisting. A dental assistant may serve as a clinical chairside assistant, secretary-bookkeeper, office manager, or laboratory technician. This program is accredited by the American Dental Association s Commission on Dental Accreditation and by the Oregon Board of Dentistry. Oregon requires dental assistants who expose dental x-rays to hold a Certificate of Radiological Proficiency. Graduating students are eligible to take the radiological proficiency examination which is administered by the Dental Assisting National Board.
Students are also eligible to receive all state required certificates.
In addition, students complete a National Board examination each year. Dental Assisting courses include basic health sciences, dental sciences such as oral anatomy and pathology, dental materials, radiographic and chairside assisting techniques, principles of office records management and marketing, laboratory procedures, psychological considerations in patient treatment, basic math computations, and cooperative education. Dental Assisting is a concentrated program that requires good reading and study skills. Students are on campus most of the day and spend a minimum of four hours a week winter term and 18 hours a week during spring term in Cooperative Education. Students are encouraged to take Health Sciences and Dental Law and Ethics prior to entry into the program.