Program Admission

1. Application to SCC for the Dental Assisting Program.
2. Submit a Program Self-Advising Sheet showing completion of all program pre-requisite courses with the required grade-point average.
3. Transcripts from High School, GED or other colleges (if applicable).
4. Appropriate math and writing course placement scores.
5. 2.5 cumulative GPA.

Students will be contacted with an anticipated start date upon successful completion of the admission process.

Student Responsibilities BEFORE starting the Dental Assisting Program:

Submit the following items to the Health Sciences Division Office in B-4 prior to starting the program. 

1. Completed Health Statement and submit to the Health Sciences Division Office in B-4 upon application to the program.
2. Completed Two-step skin test for tuberculosis verification must be submitted when requested by the program.
3. CPR certification by American Heart Association for “Basic Life Support (BLS) Provider” or American Red Cross “Professional Rescuer and Healthcare Provider”. CPR certification must be current throughout program.
4. Current Health Insurance Policy Coverage.
5. Current Dental Prophylaxis (teeth cleaning).
6. Review Essential Functions.

1. Annual Flu vaccination.
2. Drug and alcohol testing requirement successfully completed when requested by the program.  Contact the Dean of Health Sciences (402-437-2729) for further details or specific questions.
3. Successful completion of a Criminal Background Check, including the Nebraska adult and child abuse registries (CBC executed by SCC before starting the program).  Contact the Dean of Health Sciences (402-437-2729) for further details or specific questions.
4. Minimum 2.5 GPA (Accumulative) to graduate.
5. Complete all Dental Assisting courses with a minimum grade of 75% (C+).
6. Possess computer skills and have Internet access.
7. At their own expense, online students must attend a two- to four-day on campus labs in each quarter of the program at the SCC Lincoln, Nebraska, campus.
8. Know and comply with the rules and regulations contained within the program’s and College’s Student Handbook.
9. Maintain confidentiality regarding health and personal information of patient and abide by HIPAA guidelines.
10. Demonstrate proficiency in all technical and critical-thinking skills necessary for a dental assistants and maintain appropriate professional conduct at all times during clinical and didactic courses.

Important Information:

Program Summary

This is a one-year program comprised of clinical and didactic courses. Students are admitted in Spring and Fall terms. The program is offered traditionally (clinicals performed in Lincoln; didactic courses offered in classroom) OR the online track (clinical performed outside Lincoln; didactic courses offered Web-based). Online track students are required to attend scheduled  labs on Lincoln campus each quarter.

Clinical

Students will use the knowledge learned in the didactic courses, along with skills acquired in lab, to give care to patients at a dental health care facility. Clinical rotations may include private dental offices, University of Nebraska – College of Dentistry, Veteran’s Medical Center- Dental Clinic, Lincoln Lancaster Health Department - Dental Clinic, and People’s Health Center - Dental Clinic.

Students will gain experience in chair-side dental assisting skills with a variety of laboratory and office duties. Dental assistants work alongside a dentist to provide a large variety of dental treatment to patients.  With the proper education and training, dental assistants can complete delegated reversible tasks independently, with the dentist on site. Dental assistants learn specialized skills that allow them to keep the patient’s mouth clean with a suction device, prepare materials, assist with specialty procedures, coronal polish of the teeth, exposure and process radiographs and many other duties.  Infection control adherence and minor maintenance are major roles of the dental assistant.

Students perform approximately 15-20 hours of clinical per week at a pre-approved clinical site.  Clinical hours are mainly daytime between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m., however, there are some evening and early mornings.

Student Responsibilities in the Program

Important: Upon completing the program, students are eligible to take the Certified Dental Assistant examination offered by the Dental Assistant National Board, .  If you have a felony or misdemeanor in your background, you may be ineligible to take the national board.  Individuals who have been convicted of, or plead guilty to a crime, may file a pre-application with the DANB to obtain a ruling on the impact of their eligibility for examination (there is a fee for this).  You can obtain information about the pre-application on the DANB website.