My Academic Plan
My Academic Plans (MAPs) are designed by faculty and displayed in a semester format showing the fastest path to finishing your certificate or degree. While this is the ideal, you can take courses as your schedule permits. Contact an academic advisor regarding your scheduling needs.
In most cases, the courses you need are available on your selected campus. However, there may be times to complete courses online or travel to another FRCC campus. Location availability is indicated at the time of registration.
Program Description
The mission of the Dental Assisting Program is to provide an excellent education that prepares a learner to become a member of the dental profession and meet the needs of diverse populations. The program prepares dental assisting students to succeed in a highly competitive, global economy by focusing on effective communication, critical thinking, information and technology literacy, quantitative reasoning and professionalism.
Certificate in Dental Assisting | Code: | 46 credits | 2-3 semesters if attending full time (23 credits per semester) or 4-5 semester if attending part time (10-12 credits per semester including summer).
Learn more about gainful employment
What You Will Learn
Program Learning Outcomes
- Students will have the necessary skills to calculate, interpret, apply, evaluate, and communicate numerical information.
- Students will engage in critical thinking and clinical reasoning to make patient-centered care decisions.
- Students will participate in collaborative relationships with members of the clinical team, patient, faculty, community dental practices and peers in written and verbal communications.
- Students will use information management principles, techniques, and systems to manage knowledge, support decision making and reduce errors in the dental patient care and their own personal academic knowledge.
- Students will promote a culture of caring providing compassionate, ethical, legal, and professional patient care.
- Students will present themselves in a professional manner while in the dental clinic on campus and internship sites.
- Students will establish and maintain a safe learning environment for their peers, staff, and faculty.
- Students will establish, maintain, and practice in a safe dental clinic while following the guidelines that have been established by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
- Students will be prepared to take and pass the Dental Assisting National Board Exam.
- Students will participate in the American Dental Assistants Association as a student member learning leadership skills that then can be used in the work place.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics the median pay for dental assistants is $35,980 per year which is approximately $17.30 per hour. In the Fort Collins area, starting salaries are $14-15 and hour. The outlook is very positive for this occupation with an increase of over 18% in the next 10 years.
http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/dental-assistants.htm
First Semester
Courses should be completed in the order listed below. If you are unable to complete the entire semester list, complete as many courses in this sequence as your schedule allows.
| DEA 102 | Principles of Clinical Practice | 3 |
| DEA 111 | Dental Office Management | 2 |
| DEA 120 | Introduction to Dental Practices | 1 |
| DEA 121 | Dental Science I | 3 |
| DEA 123 | Dental Materials I | 3 |
| DEA 125 | Dental Radiography | 3 |
| DEA 126 | Infection Control | 3 |
| DEA 132 | Medical Emergencies in the Dental office | 2 |
| DEA 134 | Prevention and Nutrition in Dentistry | 3 |
| DEA 181 | Clinical Internship I | 1 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 24 |
Second Semester
Courses should be completed in the order listed below. If you are unable to complete the entire semester list, complete as many courses in this sequence as your schedule allows.