MCC’s Dental Assisting Program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation. As such, graduates are considered a DA II in North Carolina and may be eligible to sit for the Dental Assistant National Board (DANB) Certification Examination. Upon successful completion of the exam, graduates are awarded the Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) credential. Dental Assisting is a one-year diploma day program.
The Dental Assisting curriculum prepares health care professionals to assist the dentist in the delivery of dental treatment while performing chairside and related office and laboratory procedures.
Course work includes instruction in general studies, biomedical sciences, dental sciences, clinical sciences, and clinical practice. A combination of lecture, laboratory and clinical experience provides students with knowledge in infection/hazard control, radiography, dental materials, preventive dentistry, and clinical procedures.
The Dental Assisting program requires 384 hours of clinical practice in a dental office. Clinical practice is supervised by a dentist and dental office staff. Students do not receive monetary compensation for their clinical practice but work directly with patients and dental office personnel to receive chairside, administrative, and laboratory experience.
Job Opportunities
Some job opportunities for successful graduates include:
- dental assistants
- entry-level dental office administrators
- hygiene assistants
Some settings in which dental assistants may find employment include: private practice, public health facilities, and dental specialty offices.
Employment of dental assistants is projected to grow 7 percent from 2019 to 2029, faster than the average for all occupations. The aging population and ongoing research linking oral health and general health will lead to continued increases in the demand for preventive dental services.
FACILITIES
The Dental Assisting program is located on the main campus of MCC. The laboratory portion of the program allows students to be trained in a variety of dental assisting task in a virtual dental office setting. The facility is complete with four, fully-equipped operatories, a laboratory, radiology facilities, and a classroom.
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
The Dental Assisting Club is a voluntary campus organization comprised of students, faculty, and staff at MCC. The club works to provide students with opportunities to promote their profession in the community, to participate in fundraisers, outreach activities, conventions and seminars, and to learn about people and agencies that play a vital role in the dental assisting field.
SELECT ANY OPTION BELOW TO SEE A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO PROGRAM COMPLETION, ADMISSIONS, COSTS, FINANCIAL AID, AND MORE.
| PROGRAM OPTIONS | REQUIRED HOURS | Program Costs |
|---|---|---|
| Dental Assisting Diploma | 45 semester hours | Costs |
Advisor
Program Materials
- Dental Handbook
- Dental Assisting Lab Manual
- Bloodborne Pathogens Manual
- Infectious Diseases Manual
- Radiation Protection Program
- Dental Assistant II Permitted Functions
- Program Goals
Daily Tasks
- Prepare treatment rooms
- Greet patients, prepare patients and review medical and dental history
- Take and record vital signs of patients
- Set up instrument trays and prepare dental materials
- Expose diagnostic dental x-rays
- Assist dentist during dental procedures
- Monitor sedation patients
- Record dental treatment information in patient records
- Provide postoperative instructions prescribed by dentist
- Instruct patients in oral hygiene and plaque control
- Disinfectant treatment rooms
- Sterilize or disinfect instruments
- Assist dentist in management of medical or dental emergencies
- Fabricate temporary restorations
- Fabricate custom and vacuum trays from preliminary impressions
- Pour, trim, and polish study casts.
- Make preliminary impressions for study casts
- Clean and polish removable appliances
- Order and monitor dental supplies and equipment inventory
Wages
The average hourly wage for a Dental Assistant in the United States is $19 as of July 28, 2021, but the range typically falls between $17 and $21.
REQUIRED NOTICE OF OPPORTUNITY AND PROCEDURE TO FILE COMPLAINTS WITH THE COMMISSION OF DENTAL ACCREDITATION OF THE AMERICAN DENTAL ASSOCIATION.
The Commission on Dental Accreditation will review complaints that relate to a program’s compliance with the accreditation standards. The Commission is interested in the sustained quality and continued improvement of dental and dental-related education programs but does not intervene on behalf of individuals or act as a court of appeal for individuals in matters of admission, appointment, promotion or dismissal of faculty, staff, or students. Complaints must be received by the commission no later than October 1, 2021. Complaints must be signed. The Commission will remove signatures prior to forwarding the complaint to the Dental Assisting Program Coordinator. A copy of the appropriate accreditation standards and/or the Commission’s policy and procedure for submission of complaints may be obtained by contacting the Commission at 211 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611.
Commission on Dental Accreditation
POSTING FORM FOR POLICY ON THIRD PARTY COMMENTS
POLICY ON THIRD PARTY COMMENTS
The Commission currently publishes, in its accredited lists of programs, the year of the next site visit for each program it accredits. In addition, the Commission posts its spring and fall announcements on the Accreditation News area of the ADA website for those programs being site visited January through June or July through December. Developing programs submitting applications for initial accreditation may be scheduled for site visits after the posting on the ADA website; thus, the specific dates of these site visits will not be available for publication. These programs will be listed in the Accreditation Announcements with a special notation that the developing programs have submitted applications for initial accreditation and have been scheduled for site visits. Parties interested in these specific dates (should they be established) are welcomed/encouraged to contact the Commission office.
The United States Department of Education (USDE) procedures require accrediting agencies to provide an opportunity for third-party comment, either in writing or at a public hearing (at the accrediting agencies’ discretion) with respect to institutions or programs scheduled for review. All comments must relate to accreditation standards for the discipline and required accreditation policies. In order to comply with the Department’s requirement on the use of third-party comment regarding program’s qualifications for accreditation or initial accreditation, the following procedures have been developed.
WHO CAN SUBMIT COMMENTS
Third party comments relative to the Commission’s accredited programs may include comments submitted by interested parties such as faculty, students, program administrators, Commission consultants, specialty and dental related organizations, patients, and /or consumers.
HOW COMMENTS CAN BE SOLICITED
The Commission will request written comments from interested parties in the spring and fall Accreditation Announcements on the ADA website. All comments relative to programs being visited will be due in the Commission office no later than sixty (60) days prior to each program’s site visit to allow time for the program to respond. Therefore, programs being site-visited in January through June will be listed in the fall posting of the previous year and programs scheduled for a site visit from July through December will be listed in the spring posting of the current year. Any unresolved issues related to the program’s compliance with the accreditation standards will be reviewed by the visiting committee while on-site.
Those programs scheduled for review must solicit third-party comments through appropriate notification of communities of interest and the public such as faculty, students, program administrators, specialty and dental-related organizations, patients, and consumers at least ninety (90) days prior to their site visit. The notice should indicate the deadline of sixty (60) days for receipt of third-party comments in the Commission office and should stipulate that comments must be signed, that signatures will be removed from comments prior to forwarding them to the program, and that comments must pertain only to the standards for the particular program or policies and procedures used in the Commission’s accreditation process. The announcement may include language to indicate that a copy of the appropriate accreditation standards and/or the Commission’s policy on third-party comments may be obtained by contacting the Commission at 211 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611, or by calling 1/800-621-8099, extension 4653.
TYPES OF COMMENTS CONSIDERED
All comments submitted must pertain only to the standards relative to the particular program being reviewed or policies and procedures used in the accreditation process. Comments will be screened by Commission staff for relevancy. Only signed comments will be considered. For comments not relevant to these issues, the individual will be notified that the comment is not related to accreditation and, where appropriate, referred to the appropriate agency. For those individuals who are interested in submitting comments, requests may be made to the Commission office.
MANAGEMENT OF COMMENTS
All relevant comments will have signatures removed and will then be referred to the program at least fifty (50) days prior to the site visit for review and response. A written response from the program should be provided to the Commission office and the visiting committee fifteen (15) days prior to the site visit. Adjustments may be necessary in the site visit schedule to allow discussion of comments with proper personnel. Negative comments received after the established deadline of sixty (60) days prior to the site visit will be handled as a complaint.
Revised: 8/12, 8/11, 7/09, 8/02, 1/97; Reaffirmed: 8/10, 1/03; Adopted: 7/95
INSTITUTION: Montgomery Community College
PROGRAM TO BE REVIEWED:
SITE VISIT DATE: December 2, 2021
60-DAY DEADLINE FOR RECEIPT OF COMMENTS IN THE COMMISSION OFFICE:
(Commission on Dental Accreditation, 211 E. Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611)