Dental Assisting ATD

This program has limited access and requires a special application process. Students accepted into the program get a strong foundation in dental assisting through classroom instruction, clinical experience, and laboratory practice. Students work with dental patients, under the supervision of a licensed dentist and program faculty, in the on-site College Dental Clinic, or local area dental offices to gain maximum hands-on experience. The Dental Assisting student will serve approximately 320 clinical hours treating patients, prior to graduation.

The Dental Assisting student is trained in subject areas such as: ethics and goals of the dental profession, human anatomy and physiology, dental equipment, instruments, materials, dental x-ray techniques, chair-side assisting techniques, sterilization, oral hygiene, office management and emergency patient care.

Various dental offices in Brevard County are utilized for clinical experiences. Students must furnish their own transportation to clinical sites.

An "Expanded Functions Certificate" enables dental assistants to perform designated tasks permitted by the State Board of Dentistry. Some of the tasks to be learned by students include the following:

• Polishing clinical crowns of teeth
• Taking impressions for study casts
• Application of topical fluorides
• Fabrication of temporary crowns and bridges
• Taking Radiographic Films

ATTENTION APPLICANTS:
The careful management of infection and cross contamination is extremely important in the dental field. The Department of Dental Hygiene and Dental Assisting follows the Bloodborne Pathogen Standard issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in 2003, and all subsequent revisions.

Students enrolled in a Dental program may be exposed to bloodborne pathogens. All students must have a thorough knowledge and understanding of infectious diseases, the mechanism of disease transmission, the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogen Standard, and CDC Guidelines for Infection Control in the Dental Health-Care Setting.

The Goals of Eastern Florida State College's Dental Assistant program are:

1. To prepare students as competent Dental Assistants
2. To fulfill the need for Dental Assistants in the local and regional communities
3. To provide guidance, information, evaluation, and role-modeling faculty who will foster the development of knowledgeable and skilled Dental Assistants
4. To provide safe and sufficient resources for the attainment of educational goals

Click to view the Dental Assisting Program Performance Standards

The Dental Assiting program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA).

The Commission on Dental Accreditation is a specialized accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education. The Commission on Dental Accreditation can be contacted at (312) 440-4653 or at 211 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611. The Commission’s web address is: http://www.ada.org/en/coda

The program 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 that pertain to the standards of policies and procedures used in the Commission's accreditation process. The accreditation happens every 7 years. The next site visit will be in 2025. All third party comments are due in the Commission's office no later than 60 days prior to the site visit.

Students accepted in the Dental Assisting Program are required to complete and PASS a Nationwide Background and Sexual Offender check and a 10-panel drug test and to comply with statutory and/or regulatory requirements independently imposed by law, or as required by affiliating entities.