General Information
Applications for the Fall 2010 Dental Assisting Program will be accepted October 1, 2009 through June 1, 2010. The admission form will be available beginning October 1, 2009 by clicking here.
If you are interested in applying to a Northwest Florida State College Nursing and Allied Health Program set to begin Fall 2010, there will be a Health Programs Information Fair on Tuesday, February 9, 2010, from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. at the Niceville Campus. The event will be held in the College Mall, Building K, on the college’s Niceville campus. For more information, click here, or contact the NWF State College Allied Health office at 729-6444. Reservations are not required.
Certain programs award points toward the weighted point selection process for those who attend an information session. Refer to the specific program website for admission criteria.
Northwest Florida State College is seeking national re-accreditation for its Dental Assisting Program through the American Dental Association - Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA). This accreditation process, which is an essential part of providing a quality program, includes a site visit from a group of dental program educators selected by CODA. The visiting team is interested in your views about the NWFSC dental assisting program and invites you to send comments to: Commission on Dental Accreditation, 211 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago IL 60611. Written and signed comments will be accepted until January 9, 2010. The visit will take place March 9-10, 2010.
The Dental Assisting program is a three semester vocational program leading to a Certificate in Dental Assisting. The program provides students with the educational background and clinical experiences necessary for safe practice in the field of Dental Assisting. The curriculum includes content in dental sciences, communications, dental assisting clinical science, and expanded functions. The Dental Assisting program requires full-time enrollment. Students who successfully complete the program receive a certificate for Dental Assisting in the state of Florida including those expanded duties legally delegated to dental assistants according to the Florida Dental Practice Act. Students are also prepared to take the Dental Assisting National Board examination to receive a national credential.
Dental Assistants perform various patient care, office and laboratory duties in both small and large dental practices. A range of career opportunities for trained Dental Assistants includes everything from employment in various phases of dentistry from chair-side assisting to education; work in specialty dental offices such as orthodontics, dental supply sales, insurance, public health and other fields. The employment market for Dental Assistants is very good and there is a demand for those with this career training throughout Florida and the nation.
Dental Assistants are responsible for duties such as making patients as comfortable as possible, preparing patients for treatment, and obtaining dental records. During a patient exam, Dental Assistants work chair-side with the Dentist as part of the Dental team. They hand instruments and materials to dentists, and keep patients' mouths clear by using suction or other devices. They also sterilize instruments and equipment, prepare tray setups for dental procedures, and instruct patients on postoperative and general oral health care.
Additionally, with formal training Dental Assistants may perform Expanded Functions such as: prepare materials for making impressions and restorations, expose radiographs, and process dental x-ray film. They also may remove sutures, apply topical anesthetics to gums as well as cavity-preventive agents to teeth, remove excess cement used in restorative procedures, and place rubber dams on the teeth to isolate them for individual treatment. Those with laboratory duties make casts of the teeth and mouth from impressions taken by dentists, clean and polish removable appliances, and make temporary crowns. Dental Assistants with front office duties schedule and confirm appointments, receive patients, keep treatment records, send bills, receive payments, and order dental supplies.