DENA 1041 - Chairside Dental Assisting I

Credits: 2
Hours/Week: Lecture 1 Lab 2
Course Description: This course focuses on how to utilize and maintain a dental clinic. Course content follows the American Dental Association Occupational Safety Health Act and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines in preparing, assisting with, and dismissing patients. Topics include infection control protocols that follow the CDC Guidelines for Infection Control in a Healthcare Setting, charting of the oral cavity, utilization of four-handed dentistry, ergonomics associated with careers in dentistry, and maintaining the operating field. Students must be able to perform physical tasks to complete course requirements and pass a Department of Human Services background study with no restrictions.
MnTC Goals
None

Prerequisite(s): DENA 1000, DENA 1011, and DENA 1012
Corequisite(s): None
Recommendation: Concurrently enrolled in DENA 1021, DENA 1022, DENA 1031, and DENA 1042

Major Content

The care and maintenance of the clinic and equipment
Aseptic techniques on equipment, instruments, and supplies
ADA, CDC, and OSHA guidelines for sanitizing, disinfecting, and sterilizing the appropriate pieces of equipment
The set up of procedure trays/organize dental operatory
Operation/assistant zones and proper ergonomics in relation to four-handed dentistry
Instruments and handpieces and their use
Patient admission and dismissing duties
Field isolation/practice and perform cotton roll placement for evaluation
Air/water syringe control and evacuation technique
Instrument grasps and instrument transfers
Dental and Periodontal charting of the oral cavity
Handling, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste

Learning Outcomes
At the end of this course students will be able to:

demonstrate the differences and uses of sanitation, disinfection, and sterilization techniques.
adhere to disease protection protocol.
describe rationale of chairside four-handed dentistry
describe and demonstrate personal oral hygiene.
write a personal oral hygiene paper.
perform instrument transfer for evaluation.
perform cotton-roll placement and air water syringe/evacuation for evaluation.
effectively place high volume suction tips in order to evacuate fluids from the oral cavity.
identify and chart the structures, existing tissue conditions and restorations in the oral cavity
safely handle, store, and dispose of hazardous waste.

Minnesota Transfer Curriculum (MnTC): Goals and Competencies
Competency Goals (MnTC Goals 1-6)
None
Theme Goals (MnTC Goals 7-10)
None

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