Dental Assisting

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School of Health, Wellness & Public Safety

CONTACT INFORMATION

Program information is available from the School of Health, Wellness & Public Safety office at (505) 224-4111 or Academic Advisement and Career Development (505) 224-4321 or from Program Director/Chair at (505) 224-5247.

cnm.edu/depts/hwps/progs

Program Description

Dental Assisting is a three-term program accredited by the American Dental Association which provides individuals the opportunity to attain the knowledge and skills necessary to work in a dental clinic or dental office. Upon completion of the program, graduates are prepared to provide basic support under the supervision of a licensed dentist or dental hygienist. Instruction occurs in classrooms, laboratories and dental clinics. It also prepares graduates for state certifications in dental radiographs, pit and fissure sealants, coronal polishing, and topical fluoride application. This program also prepares students for their Dental Assisting National Board (DANB) Exam. 

Special Requirements

• Students must be 18 years of age prior to entering DA 1175 due to federal radiation guidelines.
• Term 1 begins in the fall term only
• Criminal Background/ Drug Screen: Students may be required to undergo a routine drug screening and a state and federal criminal background check with fingerprints prior to starting the program or prior to beginning their clinical experiences. For information on the criminal background check, please note the complete description under the School of Health, Wellness & Public Safety  description. Students with a disqualifying conviction will not be allowed to start or remain in the program; additionally any student found to have a disqualifying conviction will not be allowed to register for any Allied Health or nursing programs.
• Students are required to have a physical exam, current professional BLS CPR certification, PPD and current immunizations (including MMR, DTP, PPD, and hepatitis A and B) Students interested in certain School of Health, Wellness & Public Safety programs must be in good physical and psychological health. Some programs require documentation of a recent health screening from a licensed health care provider confirming the ability to safely perform program specific activities and lift a minimum of 50 pounds. Reasonable accommodations are made for those students with disabilities. However, some disabilities may prohibit students from completing program specific competencies or gaining employment. Students with a disability that may interfere with completing program competencies, which may include providing safe patient care, are advised to contact the HWPS School Offices at (505) 224-4111 for more information
• A program fee is charged in DA 1172 to cover the cost of a lab coat, two sets of scrubs, DA pin, a pair of safety goggles, nametags, criminal background check if applicable, drug screen and health test in case of a needle stick or other exposure to bodily fluids. A program fee is charged in DA 1108 /DA 1175 , DA 1508 /DA 1575 , DA 2010 /DA 2080  for dosimeter badges. Program fees are published in the Schedule of Classes. In addition, students must purchase their own textbooks

Career and Educational Opportunities

There is a demand for well-trained dental assistants in the metropolitan area as well as in rural areas across the state. Dental assistants work with dentists or a dental hygienist to promote dental health. In addition, they might find work in private offices, dental clinics, dental supply companies, dental laboratories, hospitals, mobile dental clinics or with school programs.

Exit competencies (see Program Exit Competencies ) for this program of study are available at cnm.edu/exitcomp.

For the graduation policy refer to the Moving On  section, cnm.edu or the Students tab in my CNM.

Special Notes

Students should have reliable transportation while in the program. Clinical assignments are given to students requiring travel throughout the metropolitan area.

Beginning with the Fall 2010 term, the Dental Assisting program will use a petitioning process for entry into the program. Go to cnm.edu/dentalassisting for more information on the petitioning process.

Students must meet prerequisites by placement scores or specific course work. Please see Course Descriptions for prerequisite(s) information.

See  Prerequisite Requirement Guide   for Accuplacer score equivalencies.

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