The Clinical Dental Assistant Online Training Program provides an overview of the dental profession, dental health and disease, anatomy and physiology, infection control, basic dental assisting, radiology, dental materials, dental assisting in a specialty practice, and dental office management, all of which will prepare you to enter the dental profession as a dental assistant. After you've completed this program, you'll be ready to pursue certification as a dental assistant by passing the radiology and infection control portions of the Dental Assisting National Board examination. The exam or one or more of its components is necessary in states where registration is required for dental assistants.

Upon registering, you're given an initial six months to complete the program. Should you need more time, you may request a six-month extension at no additional charge.

CERTIFIED DENTAL ASSISTANT, CDA AND DANB are trademarks of the Dental Assisting National Board, Inc (DANB).  This program is not reviewed or endorsed by DANB.

Upon successful completion of this program, you'll be able to:

• Describe the progression of dental disease and preventive techniques
• Identify the deciduous and permanent teeth and their functions, as well as anatomical landmarks of the head and neck
• Identify the chain of infection, routes of transmission, and techniques used in sterilization and disinfection
• Complete patient charting, take vital signs, and describe steps for emergency management
• Set up trays for dental procedures and understand instrument transfer techniques
• Expose and process quality radiographs
• Identify dental materials and describe their uses
• Describe the role of a dental assistant in each of the nine dental specialties

1. Overview of the Dental Profession
   1. Introduction to the Practice of Dentistry
   2. The Dental Patient
   3. Dental Practice
   4. Employment Strategies
2. Dental Health and Disease
   1. Oral Health and Preventative Techniques
   2. Nutrition
   3. Etiology of Dental Disease
3. Anatomy and Physiology
   1. Basic Human Physiology
   2. Head and Neck Anatomy
   3. Embryology and Histology
   4. Tooth Morphology
4. Infection Control
   1. Microbiology
   2. Infection Control
   3. Management of Hazardous Materials
5. Basics of Dental Assisting
   1. Patient Care
   2. Dental Charting
   3. Pharmacology
   4. Emergency Management
   5. Chair-side Assisting
   6. Dental Instruments and Tray Setups
   7. Instrument Transfer and Maintaining the Operating Field
   8. Anesthesia and Sedation
6. Radiology
   1. Producing Quality Radiographs
   2. Processing Quality Radiographs
   3. Extraoral and Digital Radiography
7. Dental Materials
   1. Dental Cements, Bases, Liners, and Bonding Agents
   2. Restorative Materials, Dental Dams, Matrix, and Wedges
   3. Laboratory Materials and Techniques
8. Dental Assisting in the Specialty Practice
   1. Endodontics
   2. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
   3. Oral Pathology
   4. Orthodontics
   5. Pediatric Dentistry
   6. Periodontics
   7. Prosthodontics
   8. Oral Radiology
   9. Public Health
   10. Cosmetic Dentistry
9. Dental Office Management

Students should have a high school diploma or equivalent. Basic computer skills are required. No healthcare or medical office work experience is required. A current CPR certification is required for employment, but it's not required for this program.

This program is for you if you want to learn about the dental assisting field and prepare for the radiology and infection control portions of the Dental Assisting National Board exam.

CERTIFIED DENTAL ASSISTANT, CDA AND DANB are trademarks of the Dental Assisting National Board, Inc (DANB).  This program is not reviewed or endorsed by DANB.

This program is compatible with the Windows XP and later operating systems and IE 7 and later browsers. 

The following textbooks will be provided by ed2go upon registration:

• Dental Assisting: A Comprehensive Approach
• Dental Terminology
• Dental Assisting Instrument Guide
• Delmar's Dental Assisting Exam Review
• Flossing and Brushing Teaching Model
• Pediatric Hygiene Kits
• Dental Assisting: Interactive Skills and Procedures Version 2.0.0 on CD-ROM for Windows

Cindy Lamkin has been employed in the dental field for over 20 years. She graduated from the University of South Dakota with a degree in dental hygiene. In addition to practicing clinical hygiene, she has also worked in dental office administration and treatment coordinating. Her career includes general dentistry and specialty practices of periodontics, endodontics, pedodontics, and orthodontics. Cindy has both her registered dental assistant and registered dental hygienist credentials, and she's licensed to practice in multiple states.