Trenholm State Community College

A dental assistant greatly increases the efficiency of the dentist in the delivery of quality oral health care and are valuable members of the dental care team. If you have strong communication skills, enjoy working with your hands as well as your mind and want a career with responsibility, dental assisting is for you

The duties of a dental assistant are among the most comprehensive and varied in the dental office. The dental assistant performs many tasks requiring both interpersonal and technical skills. Although state regulations vary, responsibilities may include:

• Assisting the dentist during a variety of treatment procedures.
• Taking and developing dental radiographs (x-rays).
• Helping patients feel comfortable before, during and after dental treatment.
• Providing patients with instructions for oral care following surgery or other dental. treatment procedures, such as the placement of a restoration (filling).
• Teaching patients appropriate oral hygiene strategies to maintain oral health; (e.g., tooth brushing, flossing and nutritional counseling).
• Communicating with patients and suppliers (e.g., scheduling appointments, answering the telephone, billing and ordering supplies).
• Helping to provide direct patient care in all dental specialties, including orthodontics, pediatric dentistry, periodontics and oral surgery.

The Dental Assisting Program is designed to prepare the student for a career in the dental assisting field of dentistry. Students will gain the knowledge and skills needed to work as a dental assistant, lab technician, sterilization technician, or dental office receptionist.

After completing an associate program in dental assisting, graduates would possess a variety of skills to assist them in their professions. Some of these skills include: administrative skills, recording medical histories, taking x-rays, providing chairside assistance and are able to use the different types of dental instruments and materials.

• Dental Assisting AAS
• Dental Assisting Certificate

The program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association and is approved by the Board of Dental Examiners of Alabama. The Certifying Board of the American Dental Association gives special recognition to those who have achieved a high degree of competence and ability in the dental assisting field. The Dental Assisting Program is designed to prepare the student for a career in the dental assisting field of dentistry. Students will gain the knowledge and skills needed to work as a dental assistant, lab technician, sterilization technician, or dental office receptionist.

Commission on Dental Accreditation
American Dental Association
211 East Chicago Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60611
Phone (800) 621-8099 or (312) 440-4653
https://www.ada.org/en/coda

Board of Dental Examiners of Alabama
2229 Rocky Ridge Road
Birmingham, AL 35216
Phone (205) 985-7267
Fax (205) 823-9006
https://www.dentalboard.org/

Dental Assisting General Information

• Dental Form
• Physical Form
• Attendance Requirements
• Dress Code
• Dental Assisting Student Handbook
• DAT Admission and Student Selection Criteria
• Policies and Procedures for Radiology and Ionizing Radiation
• Compliance with OSHA Rules and Regulation Related to Bloodborne Pathogens
• WorkForce Confidentiality Agreement
• Dental Assisting Essential Functions

Trenholm Dental Clinic

• Pledge to Our Patients
• Patients Rights and Duties

• American Dental Assisting Association
• Dental Assisting National Board
• Alabama Dental Association
• American Dental Association