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Dental Assisting CoursesDental Assistant Training (California)

 

A Career as a Dental Assistant

 

Dental assistants play an important role in the dental office: they make patients feel more at ease in the chair and help the dentist provide relief to those with painful dental conditions. They work alongside dentists, assisting while they examine and treat patients, providing them with proper instruments and materials during a patient examination. In many dental offices, Certified Dental Assistants perform clerical and laboratory duties, as well.

 

Pima Medical Institute teaches a wide span of job skills that ensure your success in your career as a dental assistant. Our accredited dental assistant training program in California will train you in chairside assisting, radiography, front office and more.

 

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Dental Assistant Training (California) Program Description

 

Pima's accredited dental assistant training program in California will train you to prepare the patient for treatment, take X-ray examinations; obtain dental records; sterilize and disinfect instruments and equipment; prepare tray setups for dental procedures; provide postoperative instruction; educate patients in proper oral health care; prepare materials for making impressions and restorations; and expose radiographs that process dental X-ray film as directed by the dentist.

 

 

Dental Assistant Training (California) Program Outline:

 

General Education courses are listed in italics.
Course #Course TheoryLabExternCredits
DEN 102Dental Basics12  0.5
DEN 106Dental Office Administration I7.5  0.5
DEN 110 Dental Radiography I7.532 1.5
DEN 115Fundamentals of Dentistry I7.5  0.5
DEN 126Clinical Dental Procedures I27.530 2.5
Professional Sequence I Total6262 5.5
 
Course #CourseTheoryLabExternCredits
DEN 107Dental Office Administration II7.5  0.5
DEN 121Prevention & Nutrition7.54 0.5
DEN 125Fundamentals of Dentistry II15  1.0
DEN 127Clinical Dental Procedures II2169 3.0
Professional Sequence II Total5173 5.0
 
Course #CourseTheoryLabExternCredits
DEN 111Dental Radiography II7.532 1.5
DEN 131Dental Pharmacology19.521.5 1.5
DEN 135Fundamentals of Dentistry III30.513 2.0
Professional Sequence III Total57.566.5 5.0
 
Course #CourseTheoryLabExternCredits
DEN 112 Dental Radiography III7.532 1.5
DEN 145Fundamentals of Dentistry IV10  0.5
DEN 150Chairside Assisting3044.5 3.0
Professional Sequence IV Total47.576.5 5.0
 
Course #CourseTheoryLabExternCredits
DEN 128Clinical Dental Procedures III1530 2.0
DEN 155Fundamentals of Dentistry V153 1.0
DEN 166 Dental Materials2734 2.5
Professional Sequence V Total5767 5.5
 
Course #CourseTheoryLabExternCredits
DEN 200Externship  2004.0
Externship Total  2004.0
PROGRAM TOTALS27534520030.0

 

 

Job Outlook for Dental Assistants

 

Choosing a career as a dental assistant is a smart decision, since entry-level dental professionals are currently in high demand. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of dental assistants is expected to be among the fastest growing occupations through 2018, with demand expected to grow by 36 percent.

 

Almost all jobs for certified dental assistants are in the offices of dentists. Dental assistants work in a well-lighted, clean environment. About half of dental assistants have a 35- to 40-hour workweek, which may include work on Saturdays or evenings.


 

Dental Assisting ClassesDental Assistant Training (California) Licensure and Certification

 

Most states regulate the duties that dental assistants are allowed to perform through licensure, registration or certification. Dental Assistant Certification is an acknowledgment of a dental assistant's qualifications and professional competence and may be an asset when one is seeking employment.

 

Candidates may qualify to take the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB) certification examination by working at least 3,500 hours accumulated over a 24-month period or by working at least 3,500 hours of a combination of full and part-time or only part-time work experience earned over a minimum of 24 months and a maximum of 48 months as a dental assistant (verified by dentist-employer).

 

 

Dental Assistant Training (California) Program Length

 

Approximately 7 months

 

 

 

For more detailed information on PMI's dental assistant training program in California specifics, financial aid and lifetime job placement assistance for graduates, please visit your local campus below.



Chula Vista, California

 

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Contact Pima Medical Institute today and request more information about dental assistant training in California, and other career training programs including veterinary assistant, pharmacy technician or medical assistant.

 

Talk to a live person at PMI

 

This program is offered in:

 

  1. Chula Vista, California

 

What are people saying
about PMI?


Name: Denise R.

 

"My experience at PMI
was wonderful...

... It gave me the confidence to
do what I wanted to do."


Program: Dental Assistant

 

"Quitters never win.”


This is one of the most important lessons Denise has ever learned. It's an important message her parents taught her, and something Pima Medical Institute only reinforced.
“I grew a lot at Pima,” she said. “The instructors encouraged me to go out and do what I wanted to do – to try, and not give up...”

Toward the end of her 30-week study, Denise accepted a position as a dental assistant at an Albuquerque-based dentist's office. It was just one of many job offers that came her way while she was a student at PMI.

Once Denise was in her new job, it became clear very quickly that attending PMI gave her a big advantage over her colleagues.
“The curriculum is what makes Pima Medical Institute different,” she said. “Other dental assistants don't seem to know even half as much as what I learned, and these people even went to school longer than I did.”

 

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