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Henrico Workforce & Career Development

Dental Assisting: #8328, #8329 (ACE) Honors

Career Information

  • Dental Careers I Course No. 8328

  • Dental Assistant II Course No. 8329

  • Career Strategies Course No. 9071

1 year – 3 high school credits, 8 college credits – Advanced Career Education (ACE) Center at Hermitage

ACE @ Hermitage Instructor:

State Course Title: Emergency Medical Technician I, Emergency Medical Technician II.

Program Description

  • Students are introduced to careers in dentistry

     

  • Study includes infection control, CDC guidelines and Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards; anatomy and physiology; tooth morphology; oral histology; preventive dentistry; office administration and management; use of dental software; operative dentistry techniques; and dental materials/laboratory skills.

Program Structure and Benefits:

Students are introduced to careers in dentistry, including dentist (general and specialist), dental hygienist, dental assistant (I and II), dental laboratory technician, and dental receptionist. Students practice and learn many of the skills utilized in these professions while attaining the skills necessary to become entry-level dental assistants. Study includes infection control, Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards; anatomy and physiology; tooth morphology; oral histology; preventive dentistry; applied psychology; effective communication; office administration and management; use of dental software; operative dentistry techniques; and dental materials/laboratory skills. Contextual instruction and student participation in co-curricular career and technical student organization (CTSO) activities will develop leadership, interpersonal, and career skills. High-quality work-based learning (HQWBL) will provide experiential learning opportunities related to students' career goals and/or interests, integrated with instruction, and performed in partnership with local businesses and organizations.

Units of study include medical emergencies, coronal polishing, oral pathology, dental radiology, nutrition, schedule IV drugs and pharmacology, and advanced laboratory techniques. In addition to attending classes for part of the week, students have the opportunity to participate in internships at local private dental offices and public health dental facilities, where they observe and/or participate in the delivery of dental care. During the program, students are eligible to take the Dental Assisting National Board Inc. (DANB); Radiation Health and Safety (RHS); Anatomy, Morphology, and Physiology (AMP); and Infection Control (ICE) exams. Students who pass are qualified to work in entry-level dental assistant I and dental receptionist positions. After 3,500 hours in the field, graduates of the program are eligible to take the national examination to become a certified dental assistant. Many graduates choose to continue their dental education at community colleges and universities. Contextual instruction and student participation in co-curricular career and technical student organization (CTSO) activities will develop leadership, interpersonal, and career skills. High-quality work-based learning (HQWBL) will provide experiential learning opportunities related to students' career goals and/or interests, integrated with instruction, and performed in partnership with local businesses and organizations.

Note: Students must provide their own transportation to all work-based learning clinical sites.

Is This a Good Fit for You?

 

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics.