The Dental Programs at Doña Ana Community College consist of both, the Dental Assisting and Dental Hygiene programs. Information for each program is provided on the right side under degrees and certifications, program roadmaps, and catalog. The additional information section contains important information about accreditation, specific program information, the application for each program and the link to sign up for a program information session.
DENTAL ASSISTING PROGRAM
The dental assisting program at Doña Ana Community College offers a certificate of completion in dental assisting. The dental assisting profession is both challenging and rewarding. Dental Assistants are professionals who enjoy helping others, work closely with patients and work collaboratively with other members of the dental team. Dental assistants are oftern referred to as the dentists' "other set of hands".
There is no lack of variety in the types of tasks that dental assistants perform. They prepare equipment, materials, and instruments for patient care; perform sterilization and disinfection procedures; provide patients with instructions for dental procedures; create temporary crowns; provide coronal polishing and placement of sealants; take impressions of teeth; create study casts (molds); take and review patient medical histories; expose and develop radiographs; and perform a variety of other duties. They may also be responsible for administrative tasks, such as billing, patient verification, scheduling of various types of treatment appointments, and material inventory.
Assistants may work in a general-practice office where a dentist provides multiple types of treatment, including restorative/operative work (fillings), prosthetics (crowns, bridges, and dentures), and perhaps some surgery. They may want to specialize for work in periodontics, oral and maxillofacial surgery, pedodontics, or orthodontics.
In the state of New Mexico, dental assistants can become certified to perform the following expanded duties: radiology (taking x-rays), coronal polishing (polishing of teeth and removal of stains), fluoride treatments (the act of placing fluoride on a patient’s teeth), and sealant placement (used to prevent decay). These certifications are obtained through the State Dental Board and are a portion of the Dental Assisting National Board Certification Exam.
Many dental hygienists are employed in a clinical setting. They perform oral and general health assessments such as medical history, vital signs, oral cancer screening, dental charting, examination of the gums and supporting structures of teeth. They provide oral health instruction, counseling such as nutrition and healthy lifestyles and the impact on oral and general health.
Dental hygienists expose radiographs and provide many types of services such as dental cleanings, fluoride, sealants and many other preventive services.
The program offers students an array of opportunities and preparation so that upon graduation, they are well prepared to enter the workforce. Service learning is at the forefront of our curriculum and in addition to the on-site dental clinic; our students get experiences working with the community during outreach events. Students also have the opportunity to enroll in an international service learning course where they are taken outside of the United States to provide services to people in need while working with students and professionals from other disciplines.
