Dental Assistant Diploma Program in Los Angeles

Method of Instruction:
On Campus

Schedule:
Morning or Night Classes

Program Length & Type:
9-Month (40 weeks with Externship) Diploma Program

Dental Assistant Program Overview

The role of a dental assistant is to help a dentist provide oral care. Dental assistant programs teach students about basic dental procedures and how to use dental equipment correctly. The vast majority of dental assistants work in private dental offices.

National Career College’s Dental Assisting Program is designed to provide you with a combination of dental theory and practical skills. We cover various topics and terminology to help you accurately complete dental examinations, procedures, and daily tasks. Throughout the program, you will receive hands-on training to prepare you to work in modern health and dental care facilities.

Dental Assisting Program Outcomes

You will study dental specialties, operatory dentistry, dental anatomy and orthodontics, modern concepts in dental assisting, and administrative dentistry as a part of this program. As a student at National Career College, you will also have the opportunity to attain real-life experience. Students can demonstrate their clinical and administrative skills in a dental practice setting through our externship program.

Completion of the Dental Assistant program, including the classroom training and externship, is acknowledged by the awarding of a diploma.

Additionally, dental assistant graduates will obtain Radiation Safety, Infection Control, and Coronal Polishing certifications, approved by the Dental Board of California. Upon graduation, students are eligible to sit for the Registered Dental Assistant examination, RDA (CA DCA, Dental Board of California).

Dental Assisting National Board
You may choose to gain additional certifications based on your career goals. The Dental Assisting National Board (DANB) offers national certifications as a Registered Dental Assistant (RDA) or a Registered Dental Assistant in Extended Functions (RDAEF).

Our placement department will assist graduates with career placement after graduation as well.

How Long Is the Dental Assistant Program?

National Career College’s Dental Assistant Diploma program is 10 months with an externship. This program is offered full-time on-campus with both morning and evening classes available.

What Do You Learn In Our Dental Assisting Program?

A dental assistant’s primary responsibility is to help the dentist. The courses you take will include instructions on how to correctly utilize dental equipment. Basic dental procedures will also be taught as part of this training to help patients prepare for more extensive operations. The Dental Assistant training program consists of:

• Dental Office Emergencies and Compliance: Learn about Cal- DOSH regulations and guidelines, and Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards for infectious disease and infection control, plus hazard communication. Topics will include microbiology, contagious diseases concerning the dental team, universal precautions, barrier techniques and handling hazardous chemicals.
• Dental Radiography: Learn about the different parts of the head and teeth. In order to understand dental radiographs better. Students will also learn how to protect themselves from radiation and how to take good quality dental radiographs.
• Dental Specialties: Learn about cranial anatomy and how it relates to anesthesia administration and pain control. They also learn methods for oral evacuation and rubber dam isolation. Other skills learned include procedures for the administration of topical and local anesthetics. Students practice these skills on training manikins (Typodonts) and placing instruments and materials. Finally, students are introduced to children’s dentistry (Pediatric Dentistry).
• Operatory Dentistry: Learn about the duties and procedures of chair-side assisting in general dentistry, known as sit-down, four-handed dentistry. Students are instructed in handling and transferring dental instruments as well as placing materials on models. On Typodonts manikins, students practice required RDA procedures, including placing, wedging and removing matrices, cement bases and liners, and placing temporary sedative dressings.
• Laboratory Procedures: Learn how to take impressions and make study and master casts. Students will also learn about different materials and procedures for taking impressions and making casts. The casts will be used to practice dental procedures such as making custom trays and temporary crowns. Additionally, students will be introduced to prosthodontics, crown and bridge procedures, full and partial dentures, dental implants, and different types of mouth guards.
• Dental Anatomy and Orthodontics: Learn about orthodontics, which is the study of how to straighten teeth. Students will learn how to do things like measure teeth, place separators, and size bands. They will also learn about theory related to orthodontics, such as different types of mouth conditions and how to properly chart them.
• Dental Health: Learn about specialty areas of oral pathology and periodontics. Preventive dentistry is emphasized. Also learn Pit and Fissure Sealant along with Coronal Polishing.
• Modern Concepts in Dental Assisting: Learn about the extra skills and duties that a dental assistant is allowed to do. Students will learn about the California Dental Practice Act. Students will learn intra and extraoral photography as it relates to dentistry. Face bow transfer and light cured isolation techniques will also be learned. Students will learn duties in patient monitoring using EKG and sedation equipment, and the use of automated caries detection devices.
• Administrative Dentistry: Learn about dental office management, appointments scheduling, and answering the phone. Find out what dentists can and cannot do in terms of ethical and legal responsibilities. You will learn how to keep track of patients’ records and how to get information for those records. You will also learn how to use a computer to help manage a dental office.

Instructors will frequently run dental assisting students through operational scenarios to give pupils practice adjusting to diverse situations. Training will frequently walk a student through fundamental record-keeping procedures to help them improve their organizational abilities.

Dental Assistant Externship
As a student at National Career College, you will also have the opportunity to attain real-life experience. Students at National Career College can demonstrate their clinical and administrative skills in a dental practice setting through our externship program.

Why National Career College?

National Career College provides a unique learning experience in the Los Angeles area. We prepare students for entry-level positions to begin their dental careers. Our Dental Assisting Program is accredited by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES). We focus on individualized instruction and small class sizes. For details on what motivates us to provide the best experience for our students, please see our Mission Statement.

Dental Assistant Training Near Me

If you live in or around the Panorama City area in California, National Career College offers Dental Assistant training at the following location:

National Career College Campus 14355 Roscoe Blvd, Panorama City, CA 91402

Financial Aid

At National Career College, we don’t want finances to limit your career opportunities. Your education is one of the most important investments you can make. If you are unable to afford the education costs on your own, you may qualify for financial aid. Financial Aid is available for those who qualify! Please visit our Financial Aid Page to find out more!