DENT 300: Orthodontic Assistant Permit

Citrus College Course Outline of Record

Citrus College Course Outline of Record
Heading Value
Effective Term: Summer 2024
Credits: 2
Total Contact Hours: 84
Lecture Hours : 24
Lab Hours: 28
Hours Arranged: 32
Outside of Class Hours: 48
Total Student Learning Hours: 132
Prerequisite: Possession of a current, valid California Registered Dental Assistant license.
District General Education: E2. Fitness/Health Science
Transferable to CSU: No
Transferable to UC: No
Grading Method: Standard Letter

Catalog Course Description

This course is designed to provide advanced education in orthodontic assistant duties that are described in the California Dental Practice Act and is designed for students who are current Registered Dental Assistants. This course meets the didactic, laboratory, and clinical requirements set forth by the Dental Board of California Orthodontic Assistant Permit (OAP) course approval requirements to qualify to take the orthodontic assistant dental board exam. Students must present a Registered Dental Assistant License, Hepatitis B immunization, negative TB test dated no earlier than 1 year of course start date, current American Heart or Red Cross BLS/CPR certification for health care providers, prior registering. 24 lecture hours, 28 lab hours, 32 lab hours arranged.

Course Objectives

  • Size, fit, cement, and remove orthodontic bands.
  • Prepare teeth for direct bonding of orthodontic brackets, including cleaning and etching tooth surfaces.
  • Demonstrate proper orthodontic bracket placement, bond curing, and bracket removal.
  • Demonstrate proper placement, ligation, and removal of orthodontic archwires using elastic and metal ligatures.
  • Demonstrate cement removal supra-gingivally using hand instruments and related materials.
  • Demonstrate cement removal supra-gingivally using an ultrasonic scaler.
  • Successfully pass a written final exam with a score of 75% or higher.

Major Course Content

MOD A

  1. New Patient Exam and Records
  2. Bite Classifications
  3. Facebow Transfer and Articulator

MOD B

  1. Placement and Removal of Orthodontic Separators
  2. Fitting and Cementation of Orthodontic Bands
  3. Banded Appliance Model Fabrication

MOD C

  1. Direct Bonding Orthodontic Brackets
  2. Special Bonding Surfaces
  3. Archwire Types - Placement and Removal

MOD D

  1. Band Removal 
  2. Cement removal using hand instruments and ultrasonic scaler
  3. Bracket and bond removal 
  4. Anchorage
  5. Retention

Lab Content

  1. Sizing, fitting, cementing, and removal of posterior bands on a typodont.
  2. Etchant application in preparation for bonding on a typodont.
  3. Selecting, etching, pre-positioning, curing and removal of anterior and posterior brackets on a typodont. 
  4. Insertion of preformed maxillary and mandibular archwires on a typodont. 
  5. Ligating both preformed maxillary and mandibular archwires using a combination of elastic and metal ligatures or self-ligating brackets on a typodont. 
  6. Removal of excess cement supra-gingivally from orthodontic bands with a hand instrument on a typodont. 

Hours Arranged Content

Clinical instruction on the following:

  1. Sizing, fitting, cementing and removal of first molar bands on two (2) patients.
  2. Etchant application in preparation for bracket bonding on anterior and posterior teeth on two (2) patients.
  3. Selecting, adjusting, prepositioning, etching, curing and removal of anterior and posterior brackets on two (2) patients. 
  4. Insertion of preformed maxillary and mandibular archwires on two (2) patients. 
  5. Ligating both preformed maxillary and mandibular archwires using a combination of elastic and metal ligatures or self-ligating brackets on two (2) patients for each. 
  6. Removal of excess cement supra-gingivally from orthodontic bands with a hand instrument on two (2) patients. 

Suggested Reading Other Than Required Textbook

Periodicals and journals from orthodontic resources such as The American Association of Orthodontists (AAO).

Examples of Required Writing Assignments

Student will write responses to prompts regarding treatment scenarios to demonstrate critical thinking skills. Students will write and report on a researched orthodontic case presentation.

Examples of Outside Assignments

Students will examine 3 friends or family members and write a report on bite classification findings.

Instruction Type(s)

Lab, Lecture