Dental Assisting

 Dental Assistants play a crucial role in the dental team, working alongside dentists and dental hygienists. Their responsibilities include:

• Assisting with examinations and treatments
• Easing patients' anxieties
• Performing administrative tasks
• Scheduling appointments
• Filing insurance claims
• Generating billing

This profession is not only respected but also offers diverse career opportunities. Dental Assistants can find employment in various settings, including:

• General dental practices
• Orthodontics
• Pediatric dentistry
• Prosthodontics
• Periodontics
• Oral and Maxillofacial surgery
• Hospitals, dental clinics, and public health services

Many students choose our Dental Assisting Program as a stepping stone toward further education in Dental Hygiene or Dental School. Join us and take the first step toward a rewarding career in dentistry! 

4 Dental Assisting Courses $174+75 credit hour healthcare course surcharge

NOTE: Tuition and Fees are subject to change each year. Travel to/from clinical sites is at the student’s expense. Any additional immunizations or criminal background check requested by a clinical site is at the student’s expense.

• Median wages (2018) $18.59 hourly, $38,660 annual
• Employment (2016) 332,000 employees
• Projected growth (2016-2026) Much faster than average (15% +)
• Projected job openings (2016-2026) 45,900

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2018 wage data external site and 2016-2026 employment projections

If a student’s criminal background check presents a positive personal history, the Dean of Allied Health and Emergency Services and/or the Vice President of Academic Affairs will review the findings to determine if the information would exclude the student from participating in the clinical experiences required in the program and thus exclude the student from being admitted into the dental assisting program.  Disqualifying offenses defined in Section 955.160 of the Health Care Worker Background Check Act is used to determine offenses that would prohibit admission into the program.  Details of disqualifying offenses can be found at
http://www.idph.state.il.us/nar/disconvictions.htm. If the student believes that the information is in error, they may obtain a fingerprint background check, at his/her own expense, to refute or confirm the initial findings.

Felony convictions may adversely affect their ability to sit for certification exams and to receive employment as a dental assistant. 

DANB will review the documentation related to each offense, and make a case-by-case determination in consultation with legal counsel as to the candidate’s eligibility to test, to earn certification or recertify. 

Please note some dental facilities may require an additional criminal background check.  Cost of all criminal background checks will be at the student’s expense.  

All students accepted into the Dental Assisting program must successfully pass a 10-panel drug screening through CastleBranch as a condition of admission into the program. The drug screen must include the results for the following:

• Amphetamines (1000 ng/mL Screen)       
• Methadone  
• Barbiturates                            
• Methaqualone  
• Benzodiazepines                     
• Opiates (2000 ng/mL Screen)  
• Cocaine Metabolites                    
• Phencyclidine  
• Marijuana Metabolites (50 ng/mL Screen)             
• Propoxyphene     

Authorization for the drug screen shall be furnished by the student and the student shall be responsible for the required fees. The drug screening must be ordered through CastleBranch, available locations to do the screening will be listed through CastleBranch.  The student must complete the drug screening at one of those locations. The results provided from the testing site to CastleBranch for documentation. In the event of a positive drug screen (not cleared by your healthcare provider), you will not be admitted into the Prairie State College Dental Assisting Program. If the initial drug screen is positive, the student may refute the positive results (legally prescribed substances only) and at the student’s expense, complete a more extensive drug test.

Following the initial drug screen students may be subject to random drug screening for reasonable suspicion, or if the student has been out of the program longer than one year.  If a random drug screen is positive without documentation of medical necessity, or a student refuses to complete a random drug screen, the student will not be allowed to continue in the program. If a second drug screen is positive without documented medical necessity or the student refuses to complete a second drug screen, the student will be dismissed from the Dental Assisting Program without opportunity for reentering. Any student who fails a urine drug screen or refuses to complete a urine drug screen will be referred to counseling for follow-up. Cost of the drug screening will be at the student’s expense. 

All students accepted into the Dental Assisting program must complete a physical examination and demonstrate proof of immunizations and/or immunity.  The physical examination must be completed on provided forms. Your physician must thoroughly complete the form.

The physical examination must include the following: 

• Evidence of completion of Hepatitis B immunization (series of three vaccines) or a signed waiver. If unable to verify the dates of the 3 vaccines, Hepatitis antibody titer to assess for immune status can be ordered by the provider. This titer should be at least 12 months after the Hepatitis vaccine dose #3.
• QuantiFERON-TB Gold blood test (QFT-G) completed within 12 months of admission. 
• M.M.R. vaccination (2 doses required at least one month apart)  or  Titer indicating immunity 
  One of the above must be met. 
• Tetanus or booster within a 10-year period. If never immunized - 2 doses of TD, 4-8 weeks apart - Third dose 6-12 months later.

Cost of the physical exam and immunizations will be at the student’s expense.  

If a student has chosen not to be vaccinated due to medical, religious or cultural reasons they will be asked to sign an acknowledgement that they are aware that an off-campus learning facility may not accept the student without proof of immunizations. The program will not guarantee an alternate placement if a student is rejected from a clinical site. Documentation from a medical facility and/or clergy will be required if vaccines have not been completed. All other components of the required physical including the TB test must be completed.