Dental Assisting

Dental Assisting is a collaborative program with YV-Tech. Students completing this one-year certificate program will train for a wide variety of dental office functions.

Students in the dental assisting program follow the YV-Tech class calendar. Fall quarter starts the end of August. Classes are typically Monday through Thursday, 3:00 to 6:10 p.m. For more information on the dental assisting program, please call the dental assisting numbers listed in the directory of the catalog or visit www.yvcc.edu/dentalassisting

Program Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this program the student should be able to:

Obtain entry-level employment as chair-side dental assistants.
Obtain entry-level employment as dental hygiene assistants.
Communicate effectively, applying interpersonal skills, and cultural awareness to interact with dental patients, other dental health care professionals, and the various outside agencies involved in the field of dentistry.
Utilize well-defined professional skills to assist the dentist in the delivery of optimum dental treatment to patients while maintaining a safe and infection-free environment.
Understand and practice high ethical standards and the HIPPA laws required to protect patient personal health information and maintain professional confidentiality.
Utilize professional skills to promote excellent oral health and hygiene to both dental patients and to the community.

Careers

Upon completion, dental assisting students should be prepared to pass the Dental Assisting National Board’s Infection Control Exam and the Radiation Health Safety Exam. Besides classes at YV Tech, students complete YVC courses required for all certificate programs.

For more information on current employment trends, contact the Washington State Employment Security Department at www.esd.wa.gov. Additional information is available at www.wa.gov.

Admissions

Dental Assisting students are admitted fall quarter, subject to the number of qualified students and space available. The Dental Assisting program start every fall quarter only. Students must have:

A high school diploma or GED.
COMPASS exam scores indicating eligibility for ENGL& 101 , MATH 075 , and college-level reading.
Completed aYVC application (www.yvcc.edu/Admission)
Completed a YVC Dental Assisting application (deadline date is July 17 of each year)
Immunizations for Hepatitis B, measles, mumps, rubella, tetanus, and a tuberculosis skin test.

Programs

Certificate - Professional/Technical

Dental Assisting Certificate