Module 5 of the Dental Assistant program at Ross Medical Education Center incorporates three courses for the Dental Assistant student. The first of the three courses taught is entitled Oral Surgery/Endodontics. In this course, students are introduced to the skills performed by the Dental Assistant in the specialty areas of oral surgery and endodontics (root canals). These skills also include procedures for the administration of topical and local anesthetics. Students are provided with an introduction to methods for taking and recording vital signs and blood pressure. Proficiencies to be completed in this course include oral surgery procedure, endodontic procedure, post-operative instructions, preparing and transferring an anesthetic syringe, vital signs, and rubber dam isolation procedure. Students rehearse the tray and procedure set ups during clinic and practice administering postoperative care instructions to patients.
The second of the three courses taught is Dental Laboratory Procedures and Prosthodontics. In this course, students will receive instruction about prosthodontics as a specialty. They are introduced to procedures such as crown and bridge treatment as well as full and partial dentures. Students are also introduced to dental implants and mouthguards. They will have the opportunity to practice carrying out care and maintenance instructions of prosthesis and a prosthodontic tray set up as proficiencies for this course.
The final course taught in this module is Administrative Dental Assisting. In this course, students will learn about routine office procedures such as appointment scheduling, filing, mail handling, inventory control and telephone communications. Students are provided with an understanding of financial literacy and are instructed on the completion of dental insurance claim forms, check writing, and posting payments. Instructors will demonstrate proper interviewing techniques as well as provide instruction on how to prepare proper resumes cover letters and thank you letters. Students will perform a mock interview as proficiency for this course. This opportunity gives the student a chance to role play this process and perfect it.