Dental Assistant

This course will benefit anyone considering a career in allied health, as well as those already working in the field. Allied Health Professionals must be committed to the key attributes of professionalism and strive to reflect this within the delivery of patient-centered safe and effective care. “Professionalism” is a broad term that reflects many different skills and abilities. For an individual to exhibit professionalism, he/she must be armed with specific skills and abilities that do not always show up within certification requirements, or even within a career training curriculum. Soft skills are hard to measure and are typically less well-defined than hard skills. However, soft skills are what set many job candidates apart. Professionalism is not just what one knows, it is how one does their job, how one behaves and how one comes across as they interact with others.

The purpose of this course is to provide students with soft skills training that will provide the tools needed to demonstrate a higher level of professionalism on the job. Key components of the course focus on patient interaction, proper office behavior, medical ethics, diversity and cultural bias, emotional strength, professional appearance and communication. The course maintains a focus on the key attributes that are true markers of professionalism.

This course was created with input from healthcare professionals working in the field, healthcare employers that hire our graduates, professional educators and even former MedCerts students. The end result is a collection of modules that touch on the soft skills that are TRULY important in the real world of allied healthcare. In this course, students are engaged through scenario-based learning that allows for real interaction with virtual co-workers and patients. Additionally, game-based activities keep students engaged and entertained throughout their learning journey.

Infection Control in Dental Healthcare Settings is a comprehensive course detailing infection control practices performed by the dental team within the dental office. Video-based lessons classify infectious diseases, describe how to protect the patient and operator by using personal protective equipment (PPE), explain processes to maintain aseptic conditions to prevent cross contamination for procedures and services, summarize the steps to process reusable dental instruments, discuss maintenance and documentation of infection control and safety programs and policies, and explain how to document office programs/policies for infection control and safety. Emphasis is placed on recognizing important information on medical history to prevent adverse reactions during dental care, associating occupational safety and guidelines to dental workplace practices, and understanding how to perform proper hand hygiene before, during, and after oral surgery and intraoral procedures. Additionally, the course provides guidance on identifying how standards and workplace controls protect the patient and operator through the reduction of aerosol, droplets, and splatter, as well as how advisory, regulatory, and professional organizations are related to dentistry.

Dental Anatomy, Morphology, and Physiology is a comprehensive course detailing essential anatomical, morphological, and physiological knowledge of the head, neck, and oral cavity for the dental assistant. Video-based lessons examine the anatomy and pathology of hard and soft tissues, review the circulatory and lymphatic systems, explore oral cavity anatomy, discuss salivary glands, identify permanent and primary tooth anatomy and morphology, and explain tooth numbering systems, including Universal and Palmer systems. Emphasis is placed on identifying the important head, neck, and oral landmarks, as well as discussing the muscular, skeletal, and nervous systems as they relate to the head, neck, and oral cavity. Additionally, the course provides guidance in categorizing dental occlusion and recognizing hard and soft tissue anomalies and tooth anomalies.

Dental Assisting Essentials is a comprehensive course which instructs students in dental assisting knowledge and fundamental clinical skills necessary for becoming an essential member of the dental practice team. Video-based lessons identify important tools and techniques used in clinical chairside dental assisting, explain the purpose and use of dental materials, summarize dental specialties and some key procedures and basic instruments of each, discuss the dental assistant’s role in common medical emergencies, and list drugs commonly prescribed in both dentistry and medicine. Emphasis is placed on understanding dental ethics and law, as well as describing the various topics and opportunities for patient education and recognizing the role of professional communication, customer service, and teamwork in patient care.

Radiation Health and Safety in Dentistry iIs a comprehensive course which explains patient and operator preparation and safety during radiographic exposures and provides the knowledge necessary to identify best radiographic technique based on patients’ diagnostic needs. Video-based learning lessons classify radiographic equipment based on techniques such as digital and traditional radiography, describe how to acquire radiographic images using various techniques, identify current American Dental Association (ADA) guidelines for patient selection and limiting radiation exposure, identify operator safety measures when acquiring x-rays, describe methods for monitoring operator exposure to x-radiation, and explain infection control procedures for both conventional and digital radiography equipment. Emphasis is placed on demonstrating basic knowledge of both digital and conventional radiology, evaluating radiographic images for diagnostic quality, mounting radiographic images, and describing infection control procedures for both patient and operator safety. Additionally, the course provides guidance in applying quality assurance to all aspects of radiographic imaging and expressing understanding of radiology regulations, as well as applying the principles of radiation protection and hazards when operating radiographic equipment.