Dental Assisting
The Kaskaskia College Dental Assisting Program prepares you with the skills and knowledge necessary to provide quality dental care. As a member of the dental health care team, you are responsible for providing such services as assisting the dentist with operative and surgical procedures, manipulating dental materials, exposing radiographs, treating rooms and patient preparation, and performing office management skills. For information on a rewarding career as a dental assistant, visit the Dental Assisting National Board website. (DANB.org)
KC's Dental Assisting Program will provide classroom, lab, and clinical instruction to give you a broad background in all aspects of dentistry. Clinical internships are provided by area dental offices under the guidance of dentists and assistants in communities throughout KC's district to provide you with the real-world experience you will need to succeed in this rewarding career.
Most dental assistants work for private or group practices. Additional opportunities are available in dental schools, public health departments, hospitals, prisons, and traveling offices. Dental Assisting can lead to other educational opportunities, including dental hygiene or dentistry. At the completion of the program, students qualify to take the Dental Assisting National Board Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) exam. After successfully completing the CDA exam, those individuals will be qualified to provide some of the legal expanded functions delegated to dental assistants in the state of Illinois.
Upon completing the program, you will also earn your certificate for expanded functions, including Coronal Polishing, Sealant Placement, and Monitoring Nitrous Oxide. Our goal is for you to be ready to step into the role of an entry-level Dental Assistant.
Students admitted into the dental assisting program are required to attend an orientation before dental assisting classes begin. An official email will be sent with the date, location, and time of the meeting.
To apply to the College, please click the Apply button below. To apply to the Dental Assisting program, scroll to the bottom of the page, and under Additional Information, choose the Allied Health Application link.
For more information on our Dental Assisting program, call us today at (618) 545-3040.
Get More Information
Interested in getting additional information? Fill out the form below, and one of our admissions representatives will contact your shortly.
Program Information
Dental Assisting Club
KC's Dental Assisting Club was established to promote oral health and education. Students will visit daycares and nursing homes, among other activities designed to encourage good oral hygiene. Club members hold fundraisers to raise money to travel for the purpose of dental education. For more information, contact Professor Lori Schmidt.
Dental Hygiene
A successful KC Dental Assisting program graduate can apply for the Lewis and Clarke Dental Hygiene Program. To attend the Dental Hygiene program, you must successfully complete a CODA Dental Assisting program.
What Dental Assistants Do
Duties
Dental assistants typcial do the following:
- Ensure patient comfort
- Prepare area and patient for treatments and proceedures
- Sterilize dental instruments
- Hand instruments to dentists during procedures
- Dry patients' mouth using suction hoses and other equipment
- Instruct patients in proper oral hygiene
- Process x-rays and complete lab tasks (under the direction of a dentist)
- Keep accurate records of dental treatments
Important Qualities
Detail-oriented - Dental assistants must follow specific rules and protocols, such as infection control procedures when helping dentists treat patients.
Dexterity - Dental Assistants must be good at working with their hands. They generally work in tight spaces on a small part of the body, using precise tools and instruments.
Interpersonal skills - Dental assistants work closely with dentists. They also must be considerate in working with patients who are sensitive to pain or have a fear of undergoing dental treatment.
Organization skills - Dental assistants should have excellent organizational skills. They need to have the correct tools in place for a dentist or dental hygienist to use when treating a patient, and they need to maintain patient schedules and office records.
Dental Assisting Faculty
Lori Schmidt
Professor Dental AssistingContact Us
Lori Schmidt
Professor Dental Assisting
