Dec 03, 2024  
2024-2025 Catalog with Addendum 
    
2024-2025 Catalog with Addendum

Dental Studies: Certified Dental Assisting, AAS

Location(s): Central Campus


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The challenges presented by a career in dental assisting provide many opportunities for professional growth and personal achievement. Qualified dental assistants are in high demand. The time to become a dental assistant is now! Employment is expected to grow 25 percent over the next few years, so job prospects are on the rise. Dental assistants greatly increase the efficiency of the dentist in the delivery of quality oral health care and are valuable members of the dental care team. Come start your career with us!

Join our expert faculty and learn quality patient care, administrative duties, and laboratory functions, all in the setting of state-of-the-art facilities. Students acquire excellent skills to assist a dentist engaged in performing general dentistry practices such as diagnostic, operative, preventive, and other dental procedures.

This program is accredited by the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA). Upon completion of this accredited program, students will earn a Certificate of Proficiency and will be eligible to take the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB) certification exam, which provides the designation of CDA (Certified Dental Assistant) at the national level, and which is also recognized by the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners (TSBDE) as a Registered Dental Assistant (RDA).

Enrollment in this program is limited, and those applying for admission must do so using the online application process. See the Selective Admissions  requirements in the Admission section of this Catalog.

Marketable skills for this award include: critical thinking, detail-oriented, multi-tasking, and team work.

 

Associate of Applied Science
TSI Reading & Writing Complete

General Education Requirements: 16 Credits


Every Associate of Applied Science degree plan must contain at least 15 semester hours of general education courses. At least one course must be taken from each of the following areas: humanities/fine arts (language, philosophy & culture/creative arts), social/behavioral science (social and behavioral sciences/American history/government/political science), and natural science/mathematics (life and physical sciences/mathematics).

Major Courses: 44
General Education Requirements: 16

Total Semester Hours: 60


All required DNTA courses must be completed with a “C” or better to receive the certificate.

The TJC Certified Dental Assisting Program is accredited by the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation under the following status: “approval without reporting requirements.” The Commission is a specialized body recognized by the United States Department of Education. The Commission on Dental Accreditation can be contacted at (312) 440-4653 or 211 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611. The Commission’s web address is http://www.ada.org/en/coda.

Course Sequence:


First Semester


Third Semester


Fourth Semester


Total Semester Hours: 60


Note:

  1. Non-certified dental assisting courses may be taken prior to placement in the certified dental assisting program. Special admission and retention rules apply. Department-specific courses must be taken in sequence and may have a prerequisite course.
  2. If a student does not earn a “C” or better in any required DNTA course, the student may not progress until the deficiency has been removed.
  3. Courses with an asterisk (*) represent general education requirements.
  4. Graduates who successfully pass the Dental Assisting National Board examination are eligible to apply for licensure in states where they plan to practice.

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