Dental Assisting (AASDAM)

Courses Required for Dental Assisting

Dental Science

DS 101 Chairside Assisting I

This course introduces the student to dental terminology, oral anatomy and morphology that will be utilized in patient charting. The student will be introduced to the fundamentals of working in a dental office as a chairside assistant. It introduces concepts and techniques of basic equipment, four-handed dentistry, oral evacuation, and instrument identification and proper use. The course provides an introduction to the psychology of patient management skills necessary for effective interaction with patient. Students will utilize oral communication skills to instruct patients in proper oral hygiene and preventive dentistry. It also will provide the students with basic nutritional concepts and their practical applications.
4.0 credit hours, 69 clock hours. Prerequisite: None.

DS 102 Pre-Clinical Dental Assisting

This course will introduce the student to the health and safety considerations for basic infection control, dental emergencies and the disease process, including infectious diseases and disease transmission. Topics include occupational safety, personal protection, exposure control, infection control, sterilization and disinfection techniques, Hazard and Bloodborne pathogens standards, and waste disposal as defined by government guidelines. Government guidelines follow OSHA, CDC, and EPA standards. This course will also discuss the prevention and treatment of medical emergencies commonly found in the dental office. The student will have a basic understanding of the classification, administration, use and effects of drugs commonly used in a dental office.
4.0 credit hours, 63 clock hours. Prerequisite: None.

DS 105 Dental Communications

This course is designed to develop the student’s oral communications skills. Students will prepare and present a speech on subjects related to dentistry. Various topics covered include understanding patient behavior, human relations skills, psychology in the dental office, professional boundaries, and stress management. Through lecture, discussion, individual and small group presentations, the student will become more confident in communicating with others.
1.0 credit hour, 15 clock hours. Prerequisite: None.

DS 107 Dental Materials

This course is designed to provide the student with the knowledge of dental materials commonly utilized in the dental office. Emphasis is placed on chemical and physical properties of individual dental materials. Topics include the uses, types and applications for gypsum products, impression materials, waxes, cements, temporary and permanent restorative materials, resins and bleaching trays. Students will become familiar with laboratory procedures that are commonly performed in the dental office. Practical experience will be gained by manipulating various dental materials and working with dental equipment.
3.0 credit hours, 70 clock hours. Prerequisite: None

DS 108 Dental Science

This course provides an overview of basic normal body structure and functions including an understanding of the common disease process and pathological conditions. Emphasis will be given to a comprehensive overview of oral anatomical structures, functions and the development of the oral cavity as well as the structures of the head and neck and their functions. Special attention will be given to the nervous system and its relation to anesthesia.
4.0 credit hours, 60 clock hours. Prerequisite: None

DS 110 Expanded Functions I

This course will prepare the student to perform the expanded functions that may be required of a registered dental assistant. This course covers didactic and laboratory training in the following: placement and removal of rubber dam, taking impressions for casts and appropriate bite registrations, removing excess cement, placing and removing periodontal dressings, drying root canals with paper points and placing cotton pellets and temporary restorative materials into endodontic openings, and etching appropriate enamel surfaces and applying and adjusting pit and fissure sealants. Orthodontic expanded functions that will be cover in the classroom as well as the lab include removing excess bonding with rotary instruments, placement and removal of ligature ties, preselecting orthodontic bands, placing and removing separators, cutting arch wires, and removal of loose bands or brackets. Various stains are covered as well as the application of bleaching agents and the fabrication, adjusting, cementation, and removal of temporary crowns/bridges.
4.0 credit hours, 75 clock hours. Prerequisite: None.

DS 111 Expanded Functions II

This course is a continuation of Expanded Functions I and will prepare the student to perform the expanded functions that may be required of a registered dental assistant. This course covers didactic and clinical training in the following: mechanical polishing, application of topical fluoride and medications, and administration of nitrous oxide analgesia.
The student will also perform the following expanded functions on patients:
placement and removal of rubber dam, taking impressions for casts and appropriate bite registrations, placing and removing periodontal dressings, removing excess cement, placing and removing separators, and etching appropriate enamel surfaces and applying and adjusting pit and fissure sealants. This course will also cover concepts of taking vital signs, including pulse and respiration rates and blood pressure.
4.0 credit hours, 90 clock hours. Prerequisites: DS 101 Chairside Assisting, DS 102 Pre-Clinical Dental Science, DS 108 Dental Science, DS 110 Expanded Functions I, and CPR.

DS 116 Radiology

This course will provide the student with the necessary background knowledge of ionizing radiation including the following:
history of dental radiography, image and xray production, radiation safety, patient and operator protection and quality assurance. Paralleling and bisecting techniques used in exposing intraoral radiographs, advantages and disadvantages of these techniques and errors in technique will be discussed. Students will identify anatomy of the oral cavity region that appear radiographically. Students will expose, process, mount and evaluate dental radiographs on a variety of patients for their diagnostic value. Extraoral accessory films utilized in dental offices and the procedural techniques for exposing them will be discussed.
5.0 credit hours, 100 clock hours. Prerequisites: DS 101 Chairside Assisting I, DS 102 Pre-Clinical Dental Assisting, DS 108 Dental Science, DS 110 Expanded Functions, and CPR.

DS 151 Chairside Assisting II

In this course, the student will be introduced to the different specialties in dentistry, specifically: endodontics, oral surgery, prosthodontics, periodontics and pediatric dentistry. Through lecture and instrument identification, the student will become familiar with the procedures and instruments used in each specialty. Current concepts of chairside assisting in general dentistry as well as dental specialties are presented with emphasis on the utilization of the dental assistant. Chairside Assisting II includes a clinical rotation where each student is introduced to a general office for observation and practical experience in chairside assisting. The rotation will provide the student with the opportunity to experience and participate in the duties of a dental assistant in a clinical setting.
4.0 credit hours, 98 clock hours. Prerequisites: DS 101 Chairside Assisting, DS 102 Pre-Clinical Dental Assisting, DS 108 Dental Science, and DS 110 Expanded Functions.

DS 206 Dental Management

In this course, the student will be introduced to the responsibilities of office management and administrative assistant, including scheduling and appointment control, records management, recall systems, financial transactions, telephone technique, dental insurance, inventory control, and application of dental practice management software. Information regarding the patient rights and privacy under the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) will also be discussed.
3 credit hours, 60 clock hours. Prerequisites: DS 101 Chairside Assisting, DS 102 Pre-Clinical Dental Assisting, DS 108 Dental Science, and DS 110 Expanded functions.

DS 207 Dental Ethics and Jurisprudence

This course provides information on the ethical, legal and professional experiences and obligations of the dental assistant as a member of the dental healthcare team. Content includes legal terminology, laws involving the practice of dentistry as well as patient rights and responsibilities. Professional conduct including rules and statutes as published by the Board of Dentistry will be covered. Students may be required to successfully complete a state exam to become a registered dental assistant.
2 credit hour, 30 clock hours. Prerequisite: DS 101 Chairside Assisting, DS 102 Pre-Clinical Dental Assisting, DS 108 Dental Science, and DS 110 Expanded functions.

DS 294 Internship

During the internship clinical phase of training, the student will experience various aspects of working in a private dental office, group dental practice, or specialty dental office. The internship will provide the student with the opportunity to experience and participate in the duties of a dental assistant in a clinical setting. Areas such as treatment room preparation, infection control procedures, fourhanded dentistry, front office procedures, laboratory procedures, and expanded functions will be emphasized. Students will learn by observing experienced dental office personnel and participating in a clinical setting under close supervision of trained health care professionals.
7 credit hours, 315 clock hours. Prerequisites: All didactic course work with GPA of 2.0 and CPR.

Natural Sciences

Personal and Professional Development

IS 102 Computers and Application Software

This course provides an introduction to operating systems, browsers, and email as well as word processing, presentation, spreadsheets, and database applications.
4.0 credit hours. Prerequisite: None.

PD 100 Student Success Skills

This course provides instruction in the both theory and practice of personal growth that lead to successful life experience. Topics include research in critical self-analysis of student habits and attitudes; and psychological impediments to successfully setting and achieving personal goals.
1.0 credit hour. Prerequisite: None.

PD 120 Personal Financial Management

This course deals with the concepts of personal financial planning and financial control. Topics center on critical self examination of student planning techniques through analysis and research of personal financial legal documents, checking accounts and banking services; income tax procedures; savings methods; investment planning; risk management and insurance; and credit records, credit law, and the cost of credit.
1.0 credit hour. Prerequisite: None.

PD 150 Client Services

This course provides a critical examination of issues embedded in the practice of providing client service. Topics include research about best practice in customer service and communication techniques; psychologically based methods for dealing with the management of customer complaints; and the roles of a customer service employee and supervisor within ethical boundaries and common business practice. 1.0 credit hour.
Prerequisite: None.

PD 200 Career Development Seminar

This seminar provides an opportunity for the student to apply critical self-examination techniques and processes for developing a career path and an awareness of the need to embed life-long learning into career management. Topics include career planning research, job searching, developing career search documents, and refining interview and communication skills within an awareness of psychological boundaries implicit in this process. Successful completion of this course requires the creation of a professional resume suitable for email.
1.0 credit hour. Prerequisite: None.

General Education Requirements

Students enrolled in associate degrees must complete a minimum of 21 semester credit hours in general education distributed among the following disciplines. Refer to the General Education section of this catalog for Herzing University courses that would satisfy these requirements. Note: In the State of Minnesota, four semester credit hours of Mathematics or Natural Science replaces Computer Applications in the general education requirements recognizing that computer literacy is a component of the core curriculum.

• 3 Semester Credit Hours in English Composition
• 1 Semester Credit Hour in Information Literacy and Research Writing
• 3 Semester Credit Hours in Speech
• 4 Semester Credit Hours in Mathematics (College Algebra or Above)
• 3 Semester Credit Hours in Social or Behavioral Science
• 3 Semester Credit Hours in Science or Humanities with a Critical Thinking Focus
• 4 Semester Credit Hours of Mathematics or Natural Science (State of Minnesota only)