Dental assistant program now at Northwestern College in Jefferson Park

Northwestern College, 4811 N. Milwaukee Ave., has begun a new dental assisting certificate program

Immediate enrollment is available with a maximum of 24 students to be accepted into the program’s first cohort, with classes beginning Jan. 9.

Dental assistants increase the efficiency of the dentist in the delivery of oral health care. The program is designed to prepare students for careers as dental assistants within one year.

Classroom and lab environment learning will be utilized as well as Web-enhanced components with supplemental online resources. The college will utilize eBooks and other digital learning resources that have replaced the traditional hard-copy books in most classes.

The program will require an externship, a supervised learning experience conducted outside of the classroom. The externship is designed to prepare students to deal with day-to-day dental office assignments and situations and allow them to perform services for a participating employer in order to receive academic credit.

Upon completion of the required 48 credit hours, students will be able to apply infection control and safety guidelines, complete patient information on the dental record, assist with or perform an extra- or intra-oral examination and record findings, and expose, process and mount dental radiographs using both traditional and digital techniques.

Also, perform dental laboratory procedures, effectively communicate with patients, family members and other members of the health care team, assist in managing medical emergencies, and understand and model professional behaviors, ethics and appearance.

For more information, visit www.nc.edu.