Course Content and Outcomes Guides (CCOG)

CCOG for DA 172 Winter 2025


Course Number:
DA 172
Course Title:
Dental Assisting Practicum II
Credit Hours:
8
Lecture Hours:
0
Lecture/Lab Hours:
0
Lab Hours:
240

Course Description

Provides an opportunity to gain chairside dental assisting experiences through clinical rotations at participating externship offices. Prerequisites: Acceptance into the Dental Assisting program. Corequisites: DA 173.

Intended Outcomes for the course

Upon successful completion of the course students should be able to:

  1. Perform dental assisting chairside duties while demonstrating professionalism, safety, and the ability to anticipate the needs of the operator at an advanced level.

  2. Demonstrate competence in dental charting.

  3. Demonstrate professionalism towards patients, students, dentists, and staff while participating in the practicum rotation. 

Outcome Assessment Strategies

  • Attendance 

Course Content (Themes, Concepts, Issues and Skills)

Themes:

  • Dental Assisting Clinical Duties

  • Professionalism

  • Communication

  • Teamwork

Concepts:

  • Four handed dentistry

  • OSHA Universal Precautions

  • BBP Standards

  • Anticipation of dentist's needs

  • Armamentarium 

  • Four-handed dentistry 

  • Dental dam 

  • Patient management 

  • Instrument grasps 

  • Topical anesthetic 

  • Oral health instructions

Issues: 

  • Time management

  • Organization

  • Self-direction

  • Safety

Skills:

  • Anticipate the needs of the operator while assisting chairside

  • Pass instruments while utilizing safe practices 

  • Document exam findings, health history updates, vitals, and services rendered

  • Preparation, application, and removal of dental dam

  • Demonstrate proper instrument grasps and transfers as it relates to dental  instruments

  • Document patient chart using industry standard dental software

Related Instruction

Communication
Hours: 23

  • Demonstrate professionalism towards patients, students, dentists at the practicum office

  • Communicate in a professional manner before, during, and after all procedures performed in the practicum dental setting.

  • Communicate with mentors in a professional manner during all interactions at practicum office

  • Four handed dentistry

  • Anticipation of dentist's needs

  • Patient management 

  • Oral health instructions

  • Anticipate the needs of the operator while assisting chairside

  • Pass instruments while utilizing safe practices 

  • Document exam findings, health history updates, vitals, and services rendered

  • Document patient chart using industry standard dental software