The link between good oral hygiene and overall personal health has increased the demand for dental services.* To keep pace, many dentists hire assistants to take on some of the clinical and administrative responsibilities in the dental office, creating tremendous career opportunities for dental assistants with training from an accredited school like Thompson Institute.
A Career-Focused Curriculum
The dental assistant program provides instruction in both the clinical and administrative aspects of dental assisting. Your classes will cover topics such as:
- Basic computer skills, including the use of the Microsoft Office Suite®†
- Chairside assisting techniques
- Dental radiology with preparation for certification‡
- Office emergencies and procedures, including CPR
- Office inventory, records management, communications, and ethics
- Preventive dentistry with emphasis on community health, fluoridation, nutrition, and oral hygiene
Prior to graduation you will also be required to complete an externship to gain on-the-job experience in a dental office environment.
Responsibilities on the Job
As a dental assistant your responsibilities may include a variety of clinical duties to assist the dentist chairside, such as taking radiographs and impressions, sterilizing instruments, setting up trays, maintaining equipment, trimming models, and charting dental findings in patient records. You may also be called upon to perform reception duties, greet patients, schedule appointments, file, prepare correspondence, and explain insurance company requirements to patients.
Prepare for Certification
This program is designed to help you prepare for the following certification exams:‡
- Registered Dental Assistant (RDA) exam sponsored by the American Medical Technologists
- Pennsylvania State Board of Dentistry radiology exam
* Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2006–2007 Edition.
† Office Suite is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.
‡ However, the Institute cannot guarantee a student's eligibility either to take this exam or become certified. A student's eligibility may depend on his or her work experience, completion of high school (or its equivalent), not having a criminal record, meeting other licensure or certification requirements, or the program or Institute itself having appropriate accreditation or licensure. Externship sites may themselves require a criminal background check or medical examination.