Dental Assistant

Diploma Program

The Dental Assistant program at Western School of Health and Business Careers, Monroeville (WSHBC) is designed to prepare students to assist in a variety of dental office situations. Students receive training in dental anatomy, pathology and terminology, dental instruments and materials, x-rays and radiography, chairside assisting techniques, as well as dental laboratory and office administration procedures. The core curriculum is structured to include a lecture component, a laboratory component, and a clinical component. The final externship portion of the curriculum consists of supervised experiences in a clinical environment, which requires competencies, logs, and evaluations completed by the student. At the conclusion of the program, graduates who have diligently attended class and their externship, studied, and practiced their skills should have the skills to seek entry-level employment as dental assistants.

The Dental Assisting program at WSHBC is not accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association. Graduates of the Dental Assistant program at WSHBC are encouraged to take certification examination offered by the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB). This certification examination is voluntary but obtaining this certification may enhance employment opportunities. Graduates of the program are eligible to take the certification exam after acquiring a minimum of 3500 hours of work as a dental assistant after graduation. Registration and certification requirements for taking and passing this examination are not controlled by WSHBC but by outside agencies and are subject to change without notice. WSHBC cannot guarantee that graduates will be eligible to take the certification exam at all or at any specific time, regardless of their eligibility status upon enrollment.

STATE LICENSURE/REGISTRATION INFORMATION
Licensure and/or registration requirements are controlled by the individual states and are subject to change without notice. In Pennsylvania, dental assistants are required to take and pass a state certification exam in order to work as dental assistants. WSHBC does not control state licensure and/or registration requirements and cannot guarantee that graduates will be eligible to work as dental assistants in Pennsylvania or other states, at all or at any specific time, regardless of their eligibility status upon enrollment.

Contact us for more information about our Dental Assistant program.