Dental Assisting, Associate of Science

Program Overview

Broward College's Dental Assisting program offers an associate degree for students with an accredited Dental Assisting ATD diploma. Graduates gain skills in patient care, oral health assessment, communication, and dental office management. The program includes general education and dental-specific courses, and graduates are eligible for national certification exams.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

• Overview: The Dental Assisting program at Broward College provides an associate degree for students who have completed an accredited Dental Assisting Applied Technical Diploma (ATD) program within Florida.
• Objectives: Upon completion of the Dental Assisting program, graduates will have the skills necessary to:
>* Demonstrate competence in assessing the treatment needs of patients and providing dental hygiene care for diverse patient populations. >* Demonstrate competence in assessing oral health, analyzing findings, and establishing care plans. >* Demonstrate competence in interpersonal and communication skills to interact effectively with diverse patients and healthcare professionals. >* Demonstrate competence in assessing and planning community-based oral health programs. >* Demonstrate competence in managing medical emergencies in the dental hygiene practice. >* Demonstrate competence in ethical reasoning and decision-making in the academic, research, and clinical settings.
• Program Description: The Dental Assisting program includes a combination of general education and dental-specific courses, including:
>* Dental anatomy and physiology >* Dental materials >* Dental radiography >* Clinical procedures >* Dental office management >* Dental psychology
• Additional Program Information:
>* Students are required to complete all coursework with a "C" or higher and maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0. >* Graduates are eligible to take national certification exams.

Outline:

Required Courses

• Foundations of Mathematical Reasoning (Recommended)
• History of the United States Since 1877 or National Government
• Elective
• Chemistry for Health Sciences
• Human Anatomy and Physiology I
• Human Anatomy and Physiology I Laboratory
• Principles of Sociology or Medical Terminology
• General Education Humanities Core
• Composition I
• General Education Speech
• Introduction to Dental Practice/Assisting
• Dental Anatomy and Physiology
• Pre Clinical
• Preclinical Laboratory
• Dental Materials
• Dental Materials Lab (ATD)
• Preventive Dentistry
• Dental Radiography
• Dental Radiography Lab
• Expanded Functions I
• Expanded Function I Laboratory
• Expanded Functions II
• Expanded Function II Lab
• Clinical Procedures I
• Clinical Procedures I Lab
• Clinical Practice I
• Allied Dental Theory
• Dental Office Management
• Basic Anatomy and Physiology or Basic Anatomy and Physiology
• Dental Psychology
• Dental Seminar
• Clinical Practice II

Careers:

• Graduates of the program are eligible to sit for the Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) exam and to pursue careers as dental assistants in a variety of settings, including:
>* Private dental offices >* Hospitals >* Clinics >* Schools >* Public health agencies