Dental Assisting AAS

Program Manager:
Annie Capener, Instructor
701-858-3184
annie.capener@dakotacollege.edu

Program Advisor:
Rikki Hill, Instructor
701-858-3183
ricki.hoffman@dakotacollege.edu

The Dental Assisting program prepares students to become skilled members of the dental health care team. Dental assistants are dental professionals who work side by side with the dentist during patient care. They greatly increase the efficiency of the dentist in the delivery of oral health care and perform a wide range of responsibilities. Qualities that make a successful dental assistant include good interpersonal, technical, communication, and organizational skills.

Preparation and Requirements – Admission to Dental Assisting Program

1. High School Diploma or GED Certificate
   1. High School GPA of 2.5 or greater.  If a student has completed 12 credits of college level classes, the college GPA will be considered instead of the HS GPA and must be a 2.0 or greater.
2. Students must be 18 years of age by December 31^st of the year they start the program.
3. Application and admission to DCB is required before applying to the Dental Assisting Program.  There are two application processes – First to the college and then to the dental assisting program.
4. Proof of Math and English Placement Scores. (See DCB Placement Scores)
5. Current CPR Certification for American Red Cross Healthcare Provider or American Heart Association Basic Life Support (BLS) Provider – must include a hands-on component.  Students must remain current throughout the program.
6. Proof of dental practice observations.  (4 hours each in two separate practices)
7. Proof of Math Skill Readiness.
   Student must have completed at minimum:
   The developmental math course (ASC 94 or other pre-requisite math course that would qualify a student to take Math 103) with a grade of Satisfactory or “C” or a higher-level math course (such as MATH 103 College Algebra) or Equivalent scores for ACT/PLAN/SAT/COMPASS and/or Accuplacer taken within the last two years.
8. Proof of Academic Readiness, TEAS:
   1. All applicants are required to complete the most current Assessment Technologies Institute (ATI), standardized Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) prior to application deadlines.
      1. Applicants are allowed two (2) attempts at the TEAS exam with a minimum of 4 weeks (28 days) between attempts per application period.
      2. A minimum TEAS composite score must be 45 or greater.  Any applicant scoring below this number will not be accepted.  The best score achieved, of two attempts, may be submitted.
      3. TEAS scores are valid for up to two (2) years prior to May 15^th of the year of application.
      4. It is to your advantage to double check the other parts of your application to make sure you are qualified in the other areas before you attempt the TEAS exam.
      5. It is recommended that you use the study materials on the TEAS website to score well on the exam.  As noted above you may repeat the TEAS to better your chance of admission.
9. For any required college courses completed prior to admission, the grade in that course must be a 2.0 (C) or higher, and Dental Assisting GPA for all completed required Dental Assisting courses must be 2.0 or higher. 
   1. BIOL 115 Concepts of Anatomy & Physiology or BIOL 220 Anatomy and Physiology I and BIOL 221 Anatomy & Physiology II (must be taken within the last 7 years)
   2. COMM 110 Fundamentals of Public Speaking
   3. DENT 116 Dental Anatomy (must be taken within last 7 years)
10. Guidelines for approval include:
    1. High School GPA of 2.5 or greater or
    2. If a student has completed 12 credit of college level classes, the college GPA will be considered instead of the HS GPA and must be a 2.0 or greater.
    3. No required course may have a grade lower than 2.0 (C).
    4. If a student repeats a required science course or previous Dental Assisting course, a grade of 2.0 (C) or higher must be obtained in the first repeat.  An appeal process may be sought if the student has failed science courses more than 2 times.
    5. Observation in two different dental practices prior to applying to the Dental Assisting program.
11. A certain level of English proficiency is necessary for academic success in Dental Assisting as well as for client safety. In addition to general college English proficiency requirements, all applicants born outside of the United States or Canada and applicants for whom English id not their native language (including international and/or U.S. residents) or who have not attended 4 years of U.S. high school and achieved a HS GPA of 3.0 or higher must meet additional language proficiency requirements for admission to the DCB Dental Assisting Program.  These requirements must be met prior to consideration for admission.
    Minimum TOEFL Scores for Admission to the DCB Dental Assisting Program
    To be considered for admission to the pre-licensure program, English as a second language (ESL) applicants must achieve minimum scores on the TOEFL internet-based test (TOEFL iBT) of:
    Minimum Cumulative Score of:
    86 Combined
    AND minimum individual scores of:
    26 in Speaking
    20 in Writing
    20 in Reading
    20 in Listening
    Test Preparation and Registration
    1. Complete information on the TOEFL iBT, including free test preparation materials, testing sites, and registration is available online at https://www.ets.org/toefl.  Applicants may register for the TOEFL iBT by internet, telephone (1-800-468-6335) or mail.
       1. Request official TOEFL iBT scores to be sent to:
    2. DCB College at Bottineau – Enter Institution DI 3398.
    3. Only official score reports will be accepted.  TOEFL scores are valid for two years from the test date.
    4. The cost of any/all required testing is the sole responsibility of the applicant.
    5. Applicants are allowed two (2) attempts at the TOEFL exam with a minimum of 4 weeks (28 days) between attempts per application period.
       Dental Assisting students for whom English is not their native language should be aware that they may not be able to complete the program of study within the described time frame.  Students are encouraged to consult the Dental Assisting advisor before submitting the Dental Assisting program application.  This gives the opportunity to discuss requirements and to arrange to either take the TOEFL exam if applicable or seek assistance to be successful on the TOEFL exam in the future.
       Reference:
       A Minimum English Proficiency Standard for the Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet-Based Test (TOEFL iBT) (2009).  Retrieved July 12^th, 2015 at https://www.ncsbn.org/TOEFL_iBT_Proficiency_Standard_Process.pdf . 
12. Laptop Computer
    Dental program students must have a laptop computer. The cost will be in addition to the cost of tuition, fees, and books.  The computer must be a Windows-based system.  Dakota College students have access to Office 365 in the student portal.  The required computer specification can be found at:  https://www.dakotacollege.edu/student-life/computer-services#contact
13. Transportation
    Students must have transportation available to and from campus, clinical affiliations, etc.

Checklist for the Dental Assisting Program

1. Complete an application for admission to DCB
2. Complete the electronic application for the DCB Dental Assisting Program
3. Submit copy of dental practice observations
4. Provide proof of math skill readiness (ACT, SAT or COMPASS, or transcript with math course)
5. Provide proof of academic readiness (ACT, SAT, or COMPASS, or transcript with 12 required credits)
6. Submit TEAS test results
7. If required by English as a second language (ESL) applicants, TOEFL exam results

If your application is complete and you meet all requirements above, you will be invited to an interview as a final step in the application process.

After you are accepted into the Program, the Dental Assisting Program Director will be sending you information on how to enroll in CastleBranch, which is a software program that will guide you through completing a Background Check and Drug Screen as well as keeping track of the required immunizations for the Dental Assisting Program.  The total cost is $145.00 and is the student’s financial responsibility.

Required immunizations once you are admitted to the DCB Dental Assisting Program.

Documentation will be due by July 15 (*unless specified).

1. Documentation of two Measles, Mumps, Rubella vaccination or Rubella positive titer.
2. Documentation of three Hepatitis B immunizations, positive titer, or a waiver.
3. Documentation of two Varicella (Chicken Pox) vaccinations or proof of a positive titer.
4. Documentation of Tdap (Tetanus, Diptheria & Pertussis) vaccination within the last ten years.
5. Documentation of a negative two-step TB Skin Test (Mantoux), or QuantiFERON Gold blood test or Tspot.  If positive, a copy of the lab report or a clear chest x-ray completed within the last year is required.  This requirement will be a yearly renewal.
6. Documentation of a flu shot administered during the current flu season.  *This requirement will not be due until October 1 to ensure administration of current vaccination and will be a yearly renewal.
7. Covid-19 Vaccination could be required, depending on requirements of individual clinical sites.
8. Submit copy of current CPR certification.

All applicants who meet the May 15^th deadline will be notified of status by June 15^th

Incomplete applications are not able to be processed and will be refused.