This course includes a brief history of dentistry and dental assisting, educational and legal requirements for the dental team, and discussion of dental assisting as a profession. It covers basic terminology necessary for communicating with other dental professionals, the public, and patients and identifying the different types of dental patients and how to work with them in the office.
This course provides instruction in the management of the dental assistant's role as a receptionist. Topics include appointment control, recall programs, collections, letter writing, filing systems, recording fees charged and paid, dental payment plans, prepaid dental care plans, inventory control, purchasing, and disbursements.
This course covers the embryonic development and histology of the skull and dentition; the characteristics and functions of human dentition; the study of the bones, muscles, nerves, and blood vessels of the head and neck; and the salivary glands and paranasal sinuses.
This course of study presents the basics of body structure and function. Students gain an understanding of patterns that enable the body systems to perform as an integrated whole.
This course covers dental pathology and microbiology. It includes an introduction to common abnormalities of the teeth and supporting structures, the oral symptoms of systemic diseases, and the principles of disease transmission.
This course is a study of various drugs used in dentistry, preparation of prescriptions for doctor signature, drug effects on patients, and principles of pain control including types of anesthetic agents.
This course includes the basic study of diet and nutrition, its relationship to oral health with emphasis on dietary counseling, and philosophy of preventative dentistry, personal oral hygiene, and systemic and topical fluorides.
This course gives students information on the composition and manipulation of materials used in restorative dentistry such as cements, amalgam, composites, glass ionomers, synthetic resins, temporary restorations, and metals. It also covers other materials such as waxes, impression materials, and gypsums. Students trim models, polish appliances, and fabricate custom trays, bleaching trays, mouth guards, and temporary crowns and bridges. The course also covers placement and removal of periodontal dressings and temporary crowns.
This course provides the fundamentals of endodontics, periodontics, and oral surgery procedures with detailed instruction of the dental assistant's role in each specialty area including instrumentation.
This course provides the fundamentals of pediatric dentistry, orthodontics, and fixed and removable prosthodontics with detailed instructions of the dental assistant's role in each specialty area including instrumentation.
This course covers infection control as it relates to dental assisting. Topics include universal precautions, methods of disinfection and sterilization, and proper use of chemicals and equipment.
This course is a study of medical and dental emergencies that may occur in the dental office. Instruction includes ways to prevent or reduce the number of emergencies, office preparation for an emergency, taking of vital signs, the use of medical emergency equipment, review of CPR including AED, utilizing OSHA guidelines during an emergency, and legal issues to consider when treating a dental patient.
This course introduces dental film types, anatomical landmarks, mounting of films, generation of x-rays, manual film processing, and intraoral paralleling techniques.
This course provides instruction in accessory radiographic techniques, patient management, technique error identification, automatic film processing, and preliminary film interpretation. It also includes radiation biology, patient protection, operator protection, and extraoral and digital radiography.
This course includes a detailed and practical application of dental equipment, rotary and dental hand instruments, arrangement of the patient and dental team during all phases of dentistry, and instrument transfer. It covers oral diagnosis with a focus on patient records including medical and dental histories and charting of a dental patient.
This course includes a detailed study and practical application of maintaining the operating field, rubber dam, oral inspection, removal of sutures, amalgam and composite instruments, placement and removal of matrices, placement of topical anesthetic, and preparation and proper handling of dental syringes.
This course includes a detailed study and practical application of the following procedures: oral inspection, alginate impression, model trimming, coronal polish, placement and removal of retraction material, oral brush biopsy, and applying pit and fissure sealants.
This course assigns Dental Assisting students to assist junior and senior students at Creighton University Dental College. Assignments include the areas of oral diagnosis, radiology, oral surgery, periodontics, endodontics, fixed and removable prosthodontics, orthodontics, pediatric dentistry, and operative dentistry. (The course meets for four weeks.)
Dental Assisting students complete their clinical experience in local dental offices, which include general practitioners, specialty offices, dental clinics, and government dental clinics. This experience involves working in each office for a minimum of two weeks, giving students final preparation and job opportunities for dental assisting. (The course meets for ten weeks.)
This course combines the sharing of Dental Assisting students' clinical experiences from DENT 1992 Clinical Experience II. It reviews the Occupational Safety Health Administration and dental assisting as a profession and discusses employment and legal and ethical issues of the dental profession.