An individual who is qualified to provide chairside support to the dentist is a

Dental assistants support the whole team 

A confident and capable dental assistant (DA) contributes to the productivity of the entire practice.

While DAs are not required to obtain any formal qualifications, additional training is strongly recommended to build the necessary skills and confidence. A Certificate III in Dental Assisting is offered by ADAQ Training. This entry level qualification teaches all the skills required to be a successful dental assistant.

A well-trained dental assistant allows the dentist, oral health therapist and dental hygienist to focus on treatment. By being prepared a dental assistant can reduce hinderances during appointments, allowing the team to move to the next patient faster.
Without formal training in oral health, it can be challenging to understand the process of dental treatments. By investing in your dental assistant’s education, they can gain a further understating of the dentist’s role – allowing them to better anticipate needs and be of greater assistance.

Utilising a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) such as ADAQ Training, can take the pressure off the rest of the team to find time to train a new dental assistant in a busy practice setting.


Providing elevated patient care

Additional coaching helps to boost confidence. If your dental assistant feels comfortable in their clinical role, they can improve other skills, like client care and rapport building.

Delivering excellent care and treatment should be a priority for any dental practice. The dental assistant plays a big role in the patient’s overall experience. Dental assistants are known for providing emotional support and having excellent chair-side manner. But a stressed or nervous dental assistant, cannot be expected to deliver excellent service. Patients can tell if someone on the dental team feels unsettled, which could harm their trust in those providing their care.

Having a calm and knowledgeable dental assistant makes for a better patient experience. And happy patients will return for future treatments.  

Keeping your practice up to standard 

Dental assistants are often responsible for preparing and cleaning the dental surgery. It is essential that dental assistants are well trained in infection control protocols and know how to properly sterilise and disinfect dental instruments in the clinic.

Outside of clinic work and patient care, dental assistants can also complete administrative tasks. In a Certificate III, dental assistants are taught how to correctly maintain medical records and practice administration.

Want to support your dental assistant get their qualifications? Learn more about why you should choose ADAQ Training.

Thinking about becoming an allied health professional in 10 months? Try dental assisting!

Dental Assisting program at CCSF includes instruction in intra-oral dental functions and direct patient care/chair-side experience in dental schools, clinics and private offices and public dental care facilities in San Francisco and the Daly City/South San Francisco area. Students who have completed their training satisfactorily are qualified to take the state licensure examination to become Registered Dental Assistants and the national examination to become Certified Dental Assistants.

The trained dental assistant is expected to develop skills to assist the dentist with treatment procedures at chairside; produce diagnostic aids for interpretation by the dentist; provide oral health instructions for child, teenage, and adult patients; perform chairside support and laboratory procedures that are required for dental treatments; and perform treatment services where state legal provisions authorize the dentist to assign such tasks. Dental assistants are also expected to develop skills in basic business office procedures.

If you are thinking about a career in the health field, and you are comfortable working directly with people, consider dental assisting.

Explore Potential Careers

Training in the curriculum in Dental Assisting is designed to prepare students for employment as Registered and Certified Dental Assistants in private practice, specialty dentistry, hospitals, clinics and dental schools. Positions to which graduates may advance with experience and further training include those of:

  • Dental product sales representative
  • Insurance auditor
  • Manager
  • Supervisor
  • Educator
  • RDAEF

Program Options 

Click on the degree or certificate you're interested in earning to see a sample map of courses to take to complete your goal from start to finish. 

Please note that the course maps provided are just an example to help you get started. Please meet with a counselor to personalize the plan for you and your Academic goals. 

We encourage students to consider their financial and family/life obligations when choosing a pathway to ensure successful completion of the program. During the final semester, students will be in internships on days they are not in class so it would be difficult to work during the week. There are also select Saturdays for clinical exams during the final semester.

View Requirements in College Catalog

  • Student finishes all GE requirements before entering the 1-year program (full-time) or 2-year program (part-time, recommended for students who work or have family obligations). Students are qualified for the AS degree after completing the program and declaring dental assisting as a major. Students who complete the program with an AS degree can enter the workforce and take the board exams.
  • Student enters and completes the 1-year program (full-time) or 2-year program (part-time, recommended for students who work or have family obligations) and obtains a certificate then finishes GE requirements after the program. Students are qualified for the AS degree after completing the GEs after the program and declaring dental assisting as a major. Students who complete the program with a certificate can enter the workforce and take the board exams while they finish GE requirements for an AS degree.
  • Student enters the 2-year program and concurrently takes GE courses. Students who complete the program with an AS degree and declaring dental assisting as a major can enter the workforce and take the board exams. 

View Requirements in College Catalog

Student enters and completes 1-year program (full-time) or 2-year program (part-time, recommended for students who work or have family obligations). Students who complete the program with a certificate can enter the workforce and take the board exams. Students with a bachelor's degree may select to enter the full-time 1-year program or part-time 2-year program. Students who obtain the certificate achievement may pursue an AS degree later if they choose to.

View Requirements in College Catalog

Prerequisites 

CourseUnitsNotes
*ENGL 88 or ESL 186 (waived if placed in ENGL 1A or ESL 188) 3  
*BIO 9 or BIO 106 or BIO 108 or BIO 112 3 - 4  
EMT 12 - BLS for Healthcare Providers 0.5  

*Waived if the student has a bachelor's degree

First Semester (Fall):

Course NumberCourse TitleUnitsNotes
DENT 51 Applied Dental Science I 4  
DENT 52 Dental Materials and Procedures 3  
DENT 53 Introduction to Chairside Assisting 3  
DENT 55A Dental Roentgenography 2  
DENT 62 The Dental Assistant in Practice 3  

Total Units: 15 

Second Semester (Spring):

Course NumberCourse TitleUnitsNotes
DENT 54 Applied Dental Science II 2  
DENT 55B Dental Roentgenography 2  
DENT 57 Dental Office Management 3  
DENT 67 Advanced Dental Procedures 4  
DENT 70 Clinical Chairside Assisting 7  
DENT 110A Coronal Polish 0.5  

Total Units: 18.5

View Requirements in College Catalog

Prerequisites 

CourseUnitsNotes
*ENGL 88 or ESL 186 (waived if placed in ENGL 1A or ESL 188) 3  
*BIO 9 or BIO 106 or BIO 108 or BIO 112 3 - 4  
EMT 12 - BLS for Healthcare Providers 0.5  

*Waived if the student has a bachelor's degree

First Semester(Fall):

Course NumberCourse TitleUnitsNotes
DENT 51 Applied Dental Science I 4  
DENT 55A Dental Roentgenography 2  
DENT 62 The Dental Assistant in Practice 3  

Total Units: 9 

Second Semester(Spring):

Course NumberCourse TitleUnitsNotes
DENT 55B Dental Roentgenography 2  
DENT 57 Dental Office Management 3  

Total Units: 5

Third Semester(Fall):

Course NumberCourse TitleUnitsNotes
DENT 52 Dental Materials and Procedures 3  
DENT 53 Introduction to Chairside Assisting 3  

Total Units: 6

Fourth Semester(Spring):

Course NumberCourse TitleUnitsNotes
DENT 54 Applied Dental Science II 2  
DENT 67 Advanced Dental Procedures 4  
DENT 70 Clinical Chairside Assisting 7  
DENT 110A Coronal Polish 0.5  

Total Units: 13.5

Program Admission

The Dental Assisting Program has an admission process in addition to the CCSF admission program. Please review all admission carefully prior to applying.

Dental Assisting Admission Process

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Who is the patroness of dentistry quizlet?

Who is the Patroness of Dentistry? Saint Apollonia.

What is the specialty concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of the supporting structure?

Periodontist Periodontics is the specialty of dentistry that encompasses the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of soft tissue (gum) diseases of the teeth, as well as the supporting structures (bones) of the teeth, whether they are natural or manmade teeth.

What is the dental specialty concerned with the correction of malocclusion?

The specialty area of dentistry concerned with the diagnosis, supervision, guidance and correction of malocclusions. The formal name of the specialty is orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics.

Which of the following is the dental specialty that is concerned with the diagnosis?

Prosthodontists specialize in the diagnosis, treatment planning, rehabilitation, and maintenance of the teeth.