DENTAL ASSISTANT
Certificate of Applied Science
Catalog 2007-2008

Advisor: Carmen Perry, Robin Williams

Dental Assistants are important members of the dental health care team and primarily help to increase the efficiency and productivity of the dental practice by assisting the dentist in delivering patient care. Other employment opportunities and/or responsibilities include dental health education, performing expanded duty dental care on patients, business practice, or working with dental insurance or dental supply companies. Because dentists employ two or three dental assistants, employment opportunities are excellent.

Download: Dental Assisting Program Student Information and Application Packet

The Dental Assistant program will:

• Maintain an instructional curriculum that meets the accreditation standards of the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation.
  
  
• Deliver relevant learning experiences and curriculum sequencing to assure graduates achieve adequate knowledge and skill to enable them to be employed in the field as Certified Dental
  Assistants.

Outcomes: Graduates are prepared to:

• Sit for the national certification examination administered by the Dental Assisting National Board.
  
  
• Enter a dental practice setting and display professionalism and confidentiality (including adherence to HIPAA standards).
  
  
• Perform entry level skill and competence in assigned chairside dental assistant duties and responsibilities (including expanded duty functions as defined by the Montana Board of Dentistry).
  
  
• Perform entry level expanded duty function as defined by the Montana Board of Dentistry including oral radiography.
  
  
• Utilize dental-specific in the operations of the dental practice
  
  
• Articulate dental language appropriately in business, clinical and educational situations.
  
  
• Apply OSHA infection control standards during all aspects of dental care and practice.

The MSU – Great Falls Dental Assistant program is a one-year (11 month) limited enrollment certificate program and accepts up to 18 students each year. Interested students must complete an application to the program (separate from the institution application) for acceptance. These students must have already successfully (C- or better) completed Math 085, Pre-algebra, and English 118, Intro to Critical reading/writing (or their equivalent) OR are currently at the competency level for the
program-required math and English courses. Students are advised to contact Student Services or a program advisor for further program information specific to admission requirements.

Following acceptance to the program, students complete three semesters concluding with a summer semester when the students are enrolled in clinical practice. All sequential Dental Assistant program
course work must be completed with a “C-“ or better to continue in and/or graduate from the program. All required Dental Assistant program coursework must be successfully (C- or better) completed prior to enrollment in DA 190 – Clinical Practice and Seminar, with the exception of Interpersonal Communications or General Psychology. Students will be required to purchase uniform attire and provide own transportation (and lodging, if applicable) to and from clinical site assignments.

The Dental Assistant program sequence is as follows:
(The student, however, may complete any or all of the general education coursework (non-DA) prior to entry to the Dental Assistant program, ie: Math 103 or higher, Engl 119 or higher, and/or COMM 135
or PSY 101)

Fall Semester

Spring Semester