There are many dental assistant courses covering a wide variety of subjects in dental assistant school. Although these courses may vary from one school to the next, these items below are the core subject matter covered in most dental assistant training programs.

As a result of completing a training program, students will be able to earn a higher dental assistant salary after getting hired by a dental office.

Ergonomics

Ergonomics the human body and how it adapts to various positions it’s put in during the course of work. Ergonomic conditions are simply the safest, most efficient, and easiest way to work. The goal of ergonomics is to help people stay healthy and free of aches and pains while performing their work more effectively through proper positioning and design of the workplace, instruments, systems, products, training, or some combination of these elements.

The Dental Office

Patients often decide on the quality of a dental office by how pleasant and appealing the appearance of the office is, and how comfortable their experience is. Things like temperature, reception area, administrative area, treatment area, dental chair comfort level, etc, all greatly influence how appealing (or unappealing) their dental appointment experience is.

This coursework covers how to prepare the dental office for the day, including the dental treatment area for patient care. Also discussed will be the basic functions of the dental unit and the clinical equipment most commonly found in dental treatment areas.

Dental Care

The dental assistant assumes the responsibility of preparing treatment areas, assisting the dentist in procedures, and carrying out expanded functions. In this section the importance of preparing a dental treatment room for a procedure is covered, including how to prepare the dental treatment area, admitting and seating the patient, and how the dentist and assistant should be positioned during treatment.

Dental Instruments

A wide variety of dental instruments are used in dental procedures. The dental instruments section describes the three parts of a dental hand instrument, the instrument formula designed by G.V. Black. Also discussed will be the examination instruments and their uses.

Dental Handpieces and Accessories

Rotary instruments are used to complete various functions in the cutting, polishing, and finishing of tooth structurea nd the restoration process. This section discusses the historical importance of the dental handpiece, the low-speed handpiece and its use in dentistry, including the attachments, the high-speed handpiece and its uses, and the use of other handpieces used in dentistry.

Moisture Control

The objective of moisture control is to maintain the patients mouth and keep it free of excess water, saliva, blood, tooth fragments, and excess dental materials. Included are isolation techniques used to decrease moisture during a dental procedure, the two types of oral evacuation systems used in dentistry, the grasp and positioning of the tip of the high-volume evacuator (HVE), the grasp and positioning of the HVE during a procedure, the use of the air-water syringe, how to perform a full mouth rinse, and how to use cotton rolls for isolation.

Anesthesia and Pain Control

This section discusses the use of local anesthesia, including physical, and chemical approaches to prevent and treat preoperative, operative, and postoperative anxiety and pain. Discussed will be the importance of pain control in dentistry, the composition and application of topical anesthetics, the placement of a topical and local anesthesia, the preparation and setup of a local anesthetic, and how the dental assistant is involved in the process of administration.

General Dentistry

This section covers restorative and aesthetic dentistry, and is focused on the general dental needs of the patient. Also covered is the process and principles of cavity preparation, and the differences between assisting with an amalgam and with a composite restoration.

Restorative Dentistry

A matrix system provides a “temporary wall” for the restoration process in class II, III and IV preparations.
Students will learn the use of matrix systems in class II, III, and IV restorations, the type of matrices used for posterior restorations, the purpose and use of a wedge, and alternative methods of matrix systems used in restorative dentistry.

Fixed Prosthodontics

Fixed prosthodontics is the specialized area of dentistry devoted to the replacement of missing teeth with cast prostheses that are permanently cemented in place. Discussed will be indications and contraindications for a fixed prosthesis, the steps for a diagnostic workup, the differences among full crowns, inlays, onlays, and veneer crowns, the uses of porcelain for fixed prosthodontics, and the components of a fixed bridge.

Provisional Coverage

Provisional coverage is a protective covering worn temporarily while a fixed prosthesis is being fabricated in the dental laboratory. Discussed will be the indications for provisional coverage for a crown or fixed-bridge preparation, the types of provisional coverage, the dental assistant’s role in making a provisional crown or bridge, and home-care instructions for the patient with provisional coverage.

Endodontics

Endodontics is the specialty of dentistry that manages the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of the dental pulp and the periradicular tissues surrounding the root of the tooth. Students will learn the diagnostic testing performed for endodontic diagnosis, the conclusions of the subjective and objective tests in the endodontic diagnosis, how to ssist in an electric pulp-vitality test, and diagnostic conclusions for endodontic therapy.

Preventative Dentistry

The goal of preventive dentistry is to have a healthy mouth for a lifetime. An extremely important aspect of that is to prevent new and recurring disease. Explained will be goal of preventive dentistry, the components of a program of preventive dentistry, and how to assist patients in understanding the benefits of preventive dentistry.

Nutrition

Proper nutrition is extremely important, not only for overall health, but that of dental health as well. Food choices must therefore be based on sound information and knowledge. Malnutrition during crucial periods may result in physical or mental disabilities. Well-nourished individuals are usually better able to heal and ward off infections than poorly nourished individuals. The study of nutrition includes all of the processes involved in the selection, intake, and utilization of nutrients.

In this section, students will learn how diet and nutrition can affect oral conditions, why the study of nutrition is important to the dental assistant, the meaning of “recommended dietary (daily) allowance”, the six areas of the Food Guide Pyramid, and the role of carbohydrates in the daily diet. Also explained will be relationship between frequency and amount of cariogenic foods in causing tooth decay.

Oral Pathology

Oral pathology is the study of diseases in the oral cavity, which can only be diagnosed by a dentist, but it is important for the dental assistant to be able to recognize the differences between normal and abnormal conditions that appear in the mouth. This section covers why oral pathology is important for the dental assistant, why categories of diagnostic information are necessary, the classic signs of inflammation, and how to differentiate between chronic and acute inflammation.

Microbiology

Microbiology is the study of microorganisms. Micro means “microscopically small,” and bio means “living organisms.” The dental assistant needs a foundation in microbiology to understand the nature of pathogens (disease-producing microorganisms) and how to prevent the transmission of disease in the dental office. The two major oral diseases, dental caries (decay) and periodontitis, are bacterial infections.

In this section students learn why the study of microbiology is important for the dental assistant, the contributions of early pioneers in microbiology, the types of bacteria according to their shape, and the major groups of microorganisms.

Disease Transmission and Infection Control

As a member of the dental healthcare team, the dental assistant is at risk of exposure to disease agents through contact with blood and other potentially infectious materials. By carefully following infection-control and safety guidelines, you can minimize your risk of disease transmission in the dental office.
You will learn to identify the links in the chain of infection, the differences between a chronic infection and an acute infection., the routes of disease transmission in a dental office, the types of immunity, and the roles of the CDC and OSHA in infection control.

Also covered will be the components of an OSHA exposure-control plan, the difference between universal precautions and standard precautions, the rationale for standard precautions, the OSHA categories of risk for occupational exposure, the first aid necessary after an exposure incident, and the rationale for hepatitis B vaccination for dental assistants.

The Patient Record

The patient record is the principal document containing critical information you will need to manage each patient in the dental practice. Students learn in this class, the purpose of a patient record, the various forms in the patient record, and the completion of a new patient-registration form.

Principals of Pharmacology

Pharmacology is the science of researching and developing drugs and studying their uses. Covered in this class will be a drug’s chemical, generic, and brand or trade name, the role of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and why drugs are categorized in five schedules of the Controlled Substance Act.

As you can see, there is much for the dental assistant to learn during their training, and again, the exact curriculum will depend on which program students enroll in. The above coursework is covered in most programs, but for your exact curriculum, consult your program director or website.