Dental Assisting Programs

This unique nine-week program is designed to prepare individuals to become Dental Assistants. It combines lecture and hands-on classes to expose both current and aspiring dental assistants to all major aspects of the profession. After completing the program, participants will be prepared to work in a variety of dental offices.

Participants will spend time observing and assisting in the General Dentistry clinics and will shadow different dental specialties. Rotations include: General Dentistry, Prosthodontics, Periodontology &Implantology, Oral Surgery, Orthodontics, Endodontics, Radiology, and Sterilization.

Many roles of dental assistants include, but are not limited to:

• Seating and preparing for patients
• Charting
• Instituting infection control procedures
• Assisting the dentist during procedures
• Ensuring patient comfort
• Exposing and processing radiographs
• Taking impressions
• Oversee inventory control & ordering supplies

Core courses will set the foundation for hands-on training by some of the best dentists and instructors in the area. The Dental Assisting programs trains students in a broad range of clinical skills including assisting the dentist during procedures, preparing patients for exams, performing radiographic procedures, maintaining medical records, patient scheduling, plus basic secretarial and receptionist skills.

Students are admitted once per year and begin in the fall term. Students move through the program as cohort, providing a close, supportive environment. Our lab is equipped with the most up-to-date equipment.

Dental Assisting Courses

Avilas Dental Care assisting programs combine theory and practical courses to prepare students for Level I and Level II dental assistant roles. Students will learn ethics, patient care, laboratory skills and how to work and communicate effectively within a large dental health care team. Course subjects typically include (but aren’t limited to):

• Anatomy and physiology
• Oral microbiology
• Dental radiography
• Preventative and emergency care
• Pharmacology

Field placements are an integral part of dental assisting programs, giving students the opportunity to enhance their skills and make contacts within the industry.

Dental Assistant Jobs and Salaries

To be a practising dental assistant, students must obtain certification from the Ontario Dental Assistants Association. Once certified, graduates can work as dental assistants in clinics, public health units and dental practices.

Dental assistants perform a number of tasks: polishing, oral hygiene instruction, teeth whitening, operating dental radiographers, and assisting dentists with procedures and much more. Other dental jobs exist in administration, education, health promotion and laboratory studies.

Dental assistant salaries usually start on the lower end, with the average in the high $20,000 range. With experience, average salaries are around $38,000 per year and could go as high as $50,000.

Career Opportunities

Numerous opportunities exist for graduates as dental assistants, office administrators and treatment coordinators in general practice and specialty dental offices. Other opportunities include public health departments, hospitals, armed forces, college/university dental clinics, and sales.

Program Outcomes

The following six program outcomes were developed as a result of the standards:

• Apply the principles of dental sciences to ensure quality patient care.
• Perform a comprehensive set of dental assisting skills for optimal and safe patient care.
• Perform duties within existing ethical and legal parameters of clinical dental practice.
• Accurately document the delivery of dental treatment to facilitate continuity of care, and maintain records in compliance with state, federal and laws.
• Apply current concepts of infection control and occupational safety.
• Demonstrate professional behavior in every aspect of patient care and interpersonal relations.