The Applied Technology Diploma (ATD) in dental assisting prepares students for a rewarding career that requires both interpersonal and technical skills. The duties of a dental assistant are among the most comprehensive and varied in the dental office, including work with dentists during a variety of procedures. During this one-year program, students will learn to expose radiographs, fabricate temporary crowns, take impressions for models, place sealants, polish teeth, and instruct patients on oral home care.
Graduates will earn an Expanded Functions Dental Assistant (EFDA) certificate for Florida and are eligible to sit for the Dental Assisting National Board Examination to earn the Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) designation.
Career opportunities include private dental offices in general practice, orthodontics, periodontics, pediatric dentistry, oral surgery, or endodontics; or dental clinics located in correctional facilities, military bases, or public health units.
The Dental Assisting program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation, 211 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611, 312.440.4653 or https://www.ada.org/en/coda.
NOTE: This is a limited access, one-year, full-time program and has specific admissions criteria.
Program Required Courses
YEAR I – First Semester
DES 1060 Allied Dental Theory – 2 cr.
DES 1022 Head, Neck, and Dental Anatomy – 2 cr.
DES 1022L Head, Neck, and Dental Anatomy Laboratory – 1 cr.
DES 1601 Dental Office Emergencies – 1 cr.
DES 1801 Introduction to Clinical Procedures – 4 cr.
DES 1801L Introduction to Clinical Procedures Laboratory – 1 cr.
DES 2101 Dental Materials – 3 cr.
DES 2101L Dental Materials Lab – 2 cr.
HSC 1220 Fundamentals of Allied Health Occupations – 1 cr.
YEAR I – Second Semester
DES 1052C Dental Pharmacology/Pain Control – 2 cr.
DES 1201 Dental Radiology – 3 cr.
DES 1201L Dental Radiology Laboratory – 2 cr.
DES 1805 Dental Clinical Practice I – 4 cr.
DES 1805L Dental Clinical Practice I Laboratory – 4 cr.
DES 1503 Dental Office Management – 1 cr.
DES 1023 Dental Anatomy and Physiology – 2 cr.
YEAR I – Third Semester
DES 1832 Expanded Functions – 4 cr.
DES 1832L Expanded Functions Laboratory – 2 cr.
DES 1840 Preventive Dental Health – 2 cr.
DES 1855L Dental Clinic Practicum – 5 cr.
DES 1932 Dental Assisting Seminar – 1 cr.
DES 1152 Dental Psychology and Communications – 1 cr.