Dental Assisting E-Degree
About Dental Assisting:
Dental assistants are essential members of the dental health care team. As a dental assistant, you’ll be the dentist’s “extra hands”. You will assist him/her by performing a wide variety of tasks, including:
- assisting general and specialty dentists during procedures
- recording patient medical histories and taking vital signs
- taking x-rays
- administering nitrous oxide/oxygen to patients
- polishing teeth
- fabricating casts for dental procedures
- preparing and sterilizing instruments and equipment for the dentist’s use
- performing office management tasks
Dental offices are friendly, interesting places to work. As a dental assistant, you will work closely with patients and co-workers to provide the latest and best in dental care.
Accreditation
The Dental Assisting program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation. The Commission is a specialized accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education. The Commission on Dental Accreditation can be contacted at (312) 440-4653 or at 211 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611. Check out their website.
Solicitation for Third Party Comments
Professional Licensure
Lake Area Technical College’s curriculum for Dental Assisting meets the educational requirements for professional licensure in South Dakota and many other states. Professional licensure and certification requirements often vary from state to state. Prospective or current students considering an academic program that leads to a professional license or certification are strongly encouraged to seek guidance from the appropriate licensing agency in the state you plan to work before beginning an affiliated academic program. Read more here regarding Professional Licensure Disclosures.
How does an E-Degree work?
The same accredited courses that traditional Dental Assisting students take are now offered online. To get your degree, you’ll complete a combination of online courses and on-campus lab requirements (approximately 12 days per semester). You will also complete 300 hours of clinical experience in a dental office approved by the Lake Area Tech dental department. Note: There will not be enough clinical spots in Watertown for everyone – please be prepared for out-of-town clinical experience.
Why E-Degree?
Lake Area Tech E-Degrees are “hybrid” – an innovative blend of distance and on-campus learning. With hybrid education, you get maximum time/location flexibility and crucial hands-on experience.
How long will this E-Degree take?
The Dental Assisting E-Degree is designed for part-time students (see course outline). You could graduate with a diploma in about five semesters, or an Associate of Applied Science degree in about seven semesters.
Will you be a successful online student?
Take this short Online Survey!
Do you have what it takes to be a successful online learner? Find out by taking this brief survey covering topics related to online learning such as study habits, learning preferences, self-directness, technology skills, and computer equipment capabilities. Upon completion of the survey, you’ll be given feedback regarding how successful you’d be an as online student based on the answers you provided. The survey is strictly a tool for you to use when weighing the pros and cons of online learning. The results are not used in determining your admission into the program, should you choose to apply. Why wait?
Please contact admissions or dental faculty for more information.
Earning an online degree is possible! Give us a call today or contact us online with any questions you might have.
