GRCC Program:
Certificate or Associate in Applied Arts and Sciences
Few careers offer the diversity and flexibility that dental assisting does. There are opportunities for part-time and fulltime employment as chairside, office and laboratory work assistants. Most dental assistants work in private dental offices. Others, however, may work in dental schools, hospital dental departments, public health departments, dental laboratories, or public and private dental clinics. There are also opportunities to work in the offices of dental specialists such as pediatric dentists and orthodontists. Registered dental assistants are often in short supply, making GRCC graduates highly employable.
This curriculum allows students to qualify, in less than one year, for jobs as both Certified and Registered Dental Assistants. The GRCC program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association (ADA) and approved by the Michigan Board of Dentistry.
The dental assisting program at GRCC can be taken on a full-time or part-time basis. A full-time student is able to complete the program in ten months. A part-time student requires 20 months over a two-year period to complete the program.
Students learn through a three-way combination of classroom, laboratory and clinical experiences. Not only are the latest dental techniques stressed throughout the curriculum, but students also learn how to use computers in modern dental offices.
Following completion of the 10-month curriculum (fulltime), students may return to GRCC and earn an Associate in Applied Arts and Sciences degree by taking eight more courses in the liberal arts.
At the conclusion of their first ten months of training and education at GRCC, graduates will have earned a GRCC Certificate in Dental Assisting. The graduate is eligible to sit for the Dental Assisting National Board examination to become a Certified Dental Assistant (CDA). The graduate is also eligible to sit for the Michigan RDA Examination to become a Registered Dental Assistant (RDA) in Michigan.
Requirements for licensure as an RDA in the state of Michigan are as stated in the Michigan Public Health Code, Public Act 368 of 1978. The new applicant for licensure will be asked about felony convictions, misdemeanor convictions resulting in imprisonment, and convictions for possession of controlled substances (including those involving alcohol related to motor vehicle violations). Previous convictions may prevent the applicant from receiving a license.
Program Requirements:
In order to be eligible for admission into the Dental Assisting program, students must:
- Be high school graduates or have passed the high school equivalency GED (General Educational Development) Test.
- Have a high school and college GPA of at least 2.0.
- Take the Accuplacer test. On the Accuplacer test the student must score a minimum of 41 on the algebra or a 65 on the arithmetic section and at least a 70.4 on the reading section.
- Complete a preliminary criminal background check form and pass the background check. Students should also be aware that before entering the actual dental assisting program, they will be required to submit a more extensive criminal background check in the form of being fingerprinted by Campus Police. The PDF form for this process is available on the curriculum webpage for each program. There is currently a charge for this service.
- Candidates may apply for entry into the program at the end of their junior year in high school.
- Once in the program, students must successfully complete all Dental Assisting (DAA), and DXX courses in the sequence indicated for the professional curriculum. Successful completion is defined as a grade of C- (78%) as defined by the Dental Auxiliary Programs Grading Scale, within two attempts. It is the responsibility of the student to complete all courses listed in the professional curriculum. If a grade below C- is receive don the first attempt in a DAA, or DXX course, the student will be denied continued progression in the professional curriculum. If the student wishes to repeat a DAA or DXX course, the student must meet with the Dental Auxiliary Program Director to develop a Success Plan. If on the second attempt of a DAA or DXX course, a student receives a grade lower than a “C-“, the student will be dismissed from the program. If a student fails any two DAA or DXX course regardless of when it occurs in the program, the student will be withdrawn from the Dental Assisting Program. A student must be able to complete the program within three years of the initial start of the professional curriculum.
- An estimated cost sheet for the dental assisting program can be found at www.grcc.edu/dental-assisting.
The necessary physical functions for the student in the dental assisting program include the following:
Mobility: In the course of performing dental hygiene duties, the dental hygienist may have to sit, stand, and reach overhead while standing or sitting.
Hearing: A dental hygienist must be able to hear faint sounds such as those generated while taking blood pressure or examining/ cleaning teeth with dental instruments.
Visual Discrimination: A dental hygienist must have sufficient vision to discern gradations of color and see details that are not readily apparent in the mouth.
Coordination and Manual Dexterity: A dental hygienist needs to possess fine and gross motor skills needed to manipulate dental instruments and equipment.
Communication Skills: A dental hygienist must be able to communicate verbally and in writing with other health care providers and with patients. Working as a dental hygienist requires the knowledge of non-verbal cmmunication through body language.
Course Requirements for the One-Year Certificate:
Total Credits: 47
* CH = Contact hours: The number of class hours of attendance required per week.
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