Mar 28, 2024  
Undergraduate Bulletin 2006-2008 
    
Undergraduate Bulletin 2006-2008 [Archived Catalog]

Dental Assisting Certificate


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Program: Certificate in Dental Assisting
Department of Dental Education
School of Health Sciences

Neff Hall 150 ~ 260-481-6837

This program includes at least one semester of prerequisite courses and one year of dental assisting courses. The program offers a full-time curriculum that is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association.

A Dental Assisting Certificate prepares you for a career as a dentalhealth professional who may choose to specialize in any of the following areas of dentistry: chairside general dentistry, expanded functions dental assisting (restorative) in general or pediatric dentistry, orthodontics, oral surgery, periodontics, assist in dental surgery at area hospitals, endodontics, public health dentistry, dental sales, dental insurance, dental research, business assisting, or office management or clinical supervision. The program combines didactic, laboratory, and clinical courses. Graduates are eligible to take the national boards to become a certified dental assistant (CDA) and take the state boards to obtain a dental radiology license in the State of Indiana.

Admission

Admission to IPFW does not confer admission to this program. To be admitted to the certificate program you apply separately to IPFW and the dental assisting program. Prospective dental assisting students must first complete prerequisite courses listed below or equivalent courses at another accredited college or university. These courses may not be graded on a pass/not-pass option. Remedial or developmental courses cannot be used to fulfill these prerequisite requirements. Students must maintain a GPA of 2.50 or higher. Two observations in dental offices are required. See department for application and observation forms. You must also make an appointment with a dental assisting advisor to discuss the program. Because space in the dental assisting program is limited to 24 students per year, admission is competitive. Applications for selection into the dental assisting program must be received no later than April 1 of the year an applicant wishes to enter the program. The number of eligible applicants each year exceeds the number of spaces available.

Prerequisite Courses


To apply for the Dental Assisting Certificate program, you must complete the following prerequisite courses by Aug. 15 with a cumulative GPA or higher grade of C:

Prerequisite and preferred admission courses must be completed by Aug. 15 for admission into the class that begins each fall. A minimum prerequisite GPA of 2.00 is required for all applicants. Required courses may be repeated until the applicant receives a grade of C or better. Repeated courses will not be averaged.

Effective for the 2008 class, the minimum prerequisite GPA of 3.0 will be required for all applicants.

Total Credits: 9-16


Total Credits: 29


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