DENT 100: Dental Assisting Basics

Citrus College Course Outline of Record

Citrus College Course Outline of Record
Heading Value
Effective Term: Fall 2023
Credits: 2.5
Total Contact Hours: 45
Lecture Hours : 45
Lab Hours: 0
Hours Arranged: 0
Outside of Class Hours: 90
Strongly Recommended: ENGL 101.
Transferable to CSU: No
Transferable to UC: No
Grading Method: Standard Letter

Catalog Course Description

This course will give the beginning dental assisting student a foundational knowledge of basic terminology, structures of the oral cavity, tooth morphology, tissues of the teeth, charting, oral health care, and nutrition. The student will be oriented to the profession of dentistry in terms of governing bodies, professional organizations, ethics and jurisprudence. 45 lecture hours.

Course Objectives

  • demonstrate knowledge of the teeth and oral cavity and their related structures
  • demonstrate ability to chart a patient’s mouth using accepted symbols
  • demonstrate knowledge of the dental profession, the dental health care team, ethics and jurisprudence
  • demonstrate knowledge of communication skills as they relate to patient management
  • demonstrate knowledge of plaque, its effects on the oral cavity and how to effectively remove it
  • demonstrate the fundamentals of nutrition as it applies to oral healthcare

Major Course Content

  1. Introduction to Basic Medical/Dental Terminology
    1. Prefixes
    2. Suffixes
    3. Root words
    4. Directional terms
  2. Tooth Morphology
    1. Terminology of the dental arches
    2. Permanent dentition
    3. Primary dentition
    4. Surfaces of the teeth
    5. Anatomic features of teeth
    6. Structure and function of the permanent dentition
  3. Tooth Division
    1. Terminology
    2. Division of crown
    3. Division of root
  4. Tooth Numbering
    1. Permanent dentition
      1. Universal System
      2. Palmer notation
    2. Primary dentition
      1. Universal System
      2. Palmer notation
  5. Classification of Cavities
    1. Uses
    2. Black’s cavity classification (I-VI)
  6. Dental Records and Charting
    1. Dental records
      1. purpose/contents
      2. legal responsibility
      3. role of the dental assistant
    2. Charting
      1. abbreviations
      2. symbols
      3. types of charts
      4. periodontal charting
  7. Landmarks of the Oral Cavity
    1. Oral cavity
    2. IntraOral structures
  8. Tissues of the Oral Cavity
    1. Tissues of the teeth
      1. enamel
      2. dentin
      3. cementum
      4. pulp
    2. Tissues of the Periodontium
      1. periodontal ligament
      2. bone
      3. gingiva
  9. Dental Diseases
    1. Dental plaque
      1. terminology
      2. composition of plaque
      3. formation of plaque
      4. calcification of plaque
      5. the role of nutrition in dental plaque formation
    2. Dental caries
      1. definition
      2. cause
      3. types
      4. treatment
      5. nutrition and dental caries
    3. Periodontal Disease
      1. definition
      2. cause
      3. types
      4. treatment
    4. Periapical abscess
      1. definition
      2. cause
      3. treatment
  10. Plaque Control
    1. Methods of plaque removal
    2. Fluorides
    3. Sealants
  11. Dental Health Profession
    1. History of dentistry
    2. Dental health team
    3. Professional organizations
  12. Ethics and Jurisprudence
    1. Ethics
    2. Jurisprudence
    3. Current issues
  13. Patient Management and Communication
    1. Communication skills
    2. Patient’s needs

Suggested Reading Other Than Required Textbook

Student will access information via the web and professional brochures related to plaque, plaque control and prevention.

Examples of Required Writing Assignments

Student will write a paper on plaque, plaque control and prevention.

Examples of Outside Assignments

Students will be required to complete the following types of assignments outside of the regular class time:
Study Answer questions based on text and lecture content Read required materials Practice skills related to course content (charting practices) Student will write a paper on plaque, plaque control and prevention.

Instruction Type(s)

Lecture, Online Education Lecture