Dental Assistant

DIPLOMA PROGRAM

The Dental Assistant program at Pittsburgh Career Institute (PCI) is designed to prepare students to assist in a variety of dental office situations.

Program Director Christine Skolyak

Students  in the Dental Assistant training program will be exposed to dental laboratory and office administration procedures. The core curriculum is structured to include a lecture component, a laboratory component, and a clinical component. The final externship portion of the curriculum consists of supervised experiences in a clinical environment, which requires competencies, logs, and evaluations to be completed by the student.

At the conclusion of the 10-month program, graduates who have diligently studied and attended class, completed their externship, and practiced their skills can earn a diploma and should be prepared to seek entry-level employment as dental assistants.

Concepts & Skills Taught

• Dental anatomy
• Pathology and terminology
• Dental instruments and materials
• X-rays and radiography
• Chair-side assisting techniques

Career Outcomes

• Dental practices
• Clinics

WHAT DOES A DENTAL ASSISTANT DO?

If you’re in a dental assisting role your duties might vary by practice. Generally speaking, you’ll be tackling administrative duties and patient prep no matter where you’re employed, but other responsibilities may vary. Typically, someone in a dental assisting role takes care of the following:

• Maintaining patient records
• Prepping patients for procedures
• Assisting dentists during procedures by handling instruments
• Sterilizing dental instruments
• Scheduling patient appointments
• Instructing patients on dental health and hygiene
• Completing basic lab tasks

If you take on a dental hygienist role you will also be examining patients’ gums and teeth to check for diseases or abnormalities, as well as applying sealants, fluoride, remove stains and plaque from teeth, and take X-rays.

WHAT CERTIFICATION WILL I NEED?

Most dental assistants who choose to become nationally certified take the Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) examination offered by the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB).

TO LEARN MORE

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