Dental Assistant Skills Guide
Recommended High School Level Background Courses
- *Biology
- Speech
- Office Practices
- *Health
- *Sociology
- Bookkeeping
- Business Math
- *Psychology
- Keyboarding (program prerequisite)
- *Composition
* Courses available in the Academic Achievement Center or High School Completion Center
Basic Skills in the Program and on the Job
Reading
Textbooks in this program are used as a central part of the coursework, with tests based on a combination of texts, lectures, and demonstrations. These texts, which contain a great deal of technical material, are written at the college level.
Other reading materials used in the program include journal articles, case studies, sets of instructions for dental procedures, and patient charts. Professional journals become increasingly important after students graduate, since reading designated articles is one means of meeting recertification requirements. In addition to these materials, dental assistants on the job will read office manuals and literature from insurance companies (forms and change of coverage information).
View more information on reading skills in the Dental Assistant program.
Language
Good communication skills are essential in this program. Both Composition I (ENG 105) and Fundamentals of Oral Communication (SPC 101) are required . In their other coursework, students must describe proper procedures orally as part of lab tests. Community projects will involve presentations to groups regarding proper nutrition and dental hygiene. Perhaps most important, students practice interacting with patients, dentists, and other coworkers. Additional speaking activities on the job include telephone contacts with patients, insurance companies, and collection agencies.
Written work in program courses includes reports, essay test responses, and daily logs of clinic activities. Other activities simulate writing assignments on the job: business letters, resumes, and patient charts. Because charts are legal documents, accuracy in content and spelling are crucial.
View more information on language skills in the Dental Assistant program.
Math
No separate math course is required for this program. However, math activities which require a strong grasp of basic arithmetic are integrated into the regular coursework. The office procedures class will require students to use basic arithmetic, including fractions, decimals, and per cents, to schedule patients, figure costs of services, do billings, and complete insurance forms. In the radiography class, students will memorize numbers, read charts, apply formulas, and use spatial visualization skills to visually bisect areas. In the dental materials lab, students will use the metric system to measure and mix materials. Students will apply these skills in their clinicals and on the job.
View more information on math skills in the Dental Assistant program.
Learning
Throughout the program, general thinking skills are refined and applied in a specific career context. Students use sequencing when they provide step-by-step instruction to patients and when during chairside procedures they anticipate instruments needed for the next step. When taking health histories, dental assistants make observations and inferences about what information is unusual enough to note. Cause-effect reasoning is important when assistants instruct in oral hygiene: they need to be clear about causes of problems and preventative measures.
View more information on learning skills in the Dental Assistant program.
Computer
Keyboarding is a prerequisite to program entry. Students take no additional computer coursework; therefore, they should have sufficient word processing skills to handle their written reports and their secretarial duties in the workplace. In addition to word processing, on the job they might learn to use an office management package for scheduling and storing patient data.
View more information on computer skills in the Dental Assistant program.
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