Penn Foster’s online Dental Assistant program consists of nine courses to help you gain the knowledge and skills needed to begin your new career path as a Dental Assistant including managing office operations, understanding dental health terminology and procedures, scheduling appointments, and updating patient records. Find comprehensive course details below to learn about the Dental Assistant classes included in our program.
The Dental Assistant career diploma program prepares students for an entry-level position as a Dental Assistant.
In this course, you’ll develop the necessary skills to ensure your success in the program. You’ll explore how you can improve your study skills so you’re able to use a number of tools that will help you to be successful.
This course introduces you to dentistry, dental assisting, and being a part of a dental team. You’ll review some of the history of dentistry, beginning with the Egyptians and continuing through the ages. You’ll read about the origins of inventions and the predecessors of modern equipment.
You’ll also study how to identify the members of the dental team and their duties. The different types of dental offices and their separate areas will be described. The professional qualifications and responsibilities of a dental assistant will be addressed, along with a look at how licensure is managed.
In this course, you’ll analyze varying dental terminology, including the oral cavity, dental anatomy, and tooth morphology.
In this course, you’ll review preventative dentistry and how nutrition impacts it. You’ll also identify how dental law and ethics applies in the office.
In this course, you’ll study the different facets of the dental operatory, including patients, instrumentation, and moisture control. You’ll also review disease transmission, pathology, and dental emergencies. Finally, you’ll go over how to control infection in dentistry.
In this course, you’ll first cover OSHA regulations and how they’re applied in the dental office. Next, you’ll study radiology. You’ll read dental film, diagnose radiographs, and process radiographs.
In this course, you’ll study the basics of pharmacology and its relationship to the dental profession. You’ll review various components and methods of how to prepare and administer anesthesia safely. You’ll also review dental restorative materials and how they’re used in restorations, as well as dental impression materials.
In this course, you’ll study endodontics and periodontics, the field of dentistry that deals with the tissues that surround the teeth. You’ll be introduced to the specialties of pediatric dentistry and orthodontics and the specialties of prosthodontics and oral and maxillofacial surgery.
In this course, you’ll go over professional communication skills such as interpersonal communication, the eight levels of relating to others, conflict resolution, and how to greet patients. This course will also cover how to maintain the reception area and professional skills needed for business administration for the dental assistant.
In this course, you’ll study how to use appointment modules, account modules, chart and image modules, and how to manage employee information. You’ll learn the importance of maintaining a professional appearance and continuing professional development. This course also provides information on how to search for employment opportunities and what the next steps are once you locate employment opportunities.
Penn Foster courses are written in a way that is easy to understand with materials broken down into manageable lessons. Take a look at what one of our Dental Assistant classes looks like.
