Objectives
The Dental Assisting (Levels I and II) one-year certificate program prepares the student to work in a professional, ethical, and collaborative manner in a variety of dental practice settings. Integration of the clinical and didactic components facilitate the development of skills in a number of areas including: clinical chairside, provision of client intra-oral care, laboratory skills, radiography, oral health education and promotion, business administration and practice environment maintenance. The program is divided into three levels. The students' course load consists of theoretical and practical experience through clinic and lab work. In Level 03, students participate in a consolidated 60-hour field placement in local area dental offices. Over and above the ability to master the specific technical aspects of dental assisting, graduates must be able to work effectively as part of the dental health team. To facilitate this, students participate in direct provision of client care in the on-site Algonquin dental clinic. This integrates theoretical knowledge with practical skill development.
