Course Description

Students are introduced to the role of the dental assistant and the dental team and opportunities for employment. Students will be informed of the requirements for certification and registration and the various organizations and associations within dentistry and dental assisting. Other areas studied will include dental specialties, dental terminology, applied psychology in the dental office, office preparedness to manage medical and dental emergencies, instrument and equipment identification and charting. The student will have an opportunity to view a dental office to see the set up and to observe the roles of each person on the dental team. Group 2 course.

Credit Hours

2

Contact Hours

2

Lecture Hours

2

General Education Outcomes supported by this course

Communications - Direct

Course Learning Outcomes

Knowledge:

• Explain the historical events associated with dentistry and dental assisting.
• Describe the role of the dental assistant as part of the dental health team.
• Describe the roles of the other members of the dental health team.
• Identify the basic qualities found in an ideal dental assistant.
• Explain the duties that are allowed or prohibited by the Dental Practice Act of Michigan.
• Define the dental terminology given in class.
• Identify instruments and equipment used in dentistry and the function(s) of each.

Application:

• Demonstrate basic charting procedures.
• Differentiate between the educational requirements of the members of the dental health team.

Integration:

• Integrate the importance of ethics, jurisprudence, respondeant superior, and other related to dental terms to their relationship to dentistry.
• Critique the advantages and disadvantages of various room designs to the functionality of dentistry.

Human Dimension:

• Interact with others on proper forms of communication.

Caring - Civic Learning:

• Engage in various communication forms and apply to dentistry.
• Explain how applied psychology is used in the field of dentistry and techniques for managing patient behavior.

Learning How to Learn:

• Identify sources of information for maintaining a safe work environment, prevention of emergencies, and staff preparedness to prevent emergencies.