Program Code: 7301
The Dental Assisting Program is an ADA Commission on Dental Accreditation program. Curriculum includes basic dental sciences and didactic theory in current concepts of dentistry. Students gain required clinical experience in the Santa Fe Dental Clinic, the University of Florida College of Dentistry, and other institutional and private facilities. Program graduates are eligible to sit for the National Certification Examination sponsored by the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB). Upon completion of the program, graduates are certified in all legally delegable expanded functions permitted by the Florida Board of Dentistry. Consistently, 100 percent of the students who complete the program are employed in the profession.
An educationally qualified dental assistant is responsible for working directly with a dentist during the provision of treatment to the patient. Tasks include seating patients, operatory maintenance, four-handed dentistry with the dentist during dental procedures, taking impressions of teeth for study models, polishing clinical crowns, exposing and developing X-rays, office management skills like scheduling patients, ordering supplies, and more. There are many specialized roles available as a business assistant, patient coordinator, chair side assistant, expanded functions assistant and surgical or infection control assistant.
The Dental Assisting Program admits students each fall semester. The program is three semesters (10 months) of classroom, laboratory, and clinical instruction. The final semester includes classroom learning and a dental assisting internship. The program is based on a 35 to 40 hour week schedule.
Information and applications are available from the Health Sciences Counseling office, Building W, room 2, or by calling 352-395-5650. Admissions occur in August.