DAS 101 Essentials of Dental Assisting I

5 credits

The lab portion of this course will take the basic principles and theories learned in lectures and apply them in simulated and live patient experiences. Emphasis is on safety and efficiency in the dental clinical setting, including four-handed dentistry and instrumentation. Patient safety is especially emphasized. Students apply principles of psychology in patient management. Students provide oral hygiene education related to dental procedures and provide pre- and post-operative instruction as prescribed by a dentist.   

Prerequisites: ABED 40  or AHSE 56  (or placement into MATH 87  or AHSE 66  or higher) and ABED 46  (or placement into ENGL 93  or higher)

Corequisites: DAS 102  and DAS 105  

Course Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course students will be able to:

• Apply concepts of working in a team as dental assistant 
• Demonstrate understanding of legal records and how to maintain HIPAA compliance  
• Practice concepts of 4-handed dentistry principles  
• Identify proper record keeping as a measure of risk management and as part of complete patient healthcare delivery 
• Demonstrate competency in taking patient’s vital signs    
• Demonstrate understanding of preliminary examination and accurately document patient medical conditions    
• Identify techniques of patient management in a variety of scenarios  
• Demonstrate operatory set-up and patient positioning  
• Employ dental charting techniques to notate conditions of the teeth and mucosa  
• Demonstrate proper care of dental equipment and management 
• Recognize medical conditions that may cause a medical emergency or complications during dental care