Dental Assisting

MCC's Dental Assisting Program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation. As such,

graduates are considered a DA II in North Carolina and are eligible to sit for the Dental Assistant National Board (DANB) Certification Examination. Upon successful completion, students are awarded the Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) credential.Dental Assisting is a one-year diploma day program.

The Dental Assisting curriculum prepares health care professionals to assist the dentist in the delivery of dental treatment while performing chairside and related office and laboratory procedures.

 Course work includes instruction in general studies, biomedical sciences, dental sciences, clinical sciences and clinical practice. A combination of lecture, laboratory and clinical experience provides students with knowledge in infection/hazard control, radiography, dental materials, preventive dentistry and clinical procedures.

The Dental Assisting program requires 384 hours of clinical practice in a dental office. Clinical practice is supervised by a dentist and dental office staff. Students do not receive monetary compensation for their clinical practice, but work directly with patients and dental office personnel to receive chairside, administrative and laboratory experience.

Some job opportunities for successful graduates include: dental assistants, entry-level dental office administrators, and hygiene assistants. Some settings in which dental assistants may find employment include: private practice, public health facilities and dental speciality offices. 

Facilities

The Dental Assisting program is located on the main campus of MCC. The laboratory portion of the program allows students to be trained in variety of dental assisting task in a virtual dental office setting. The facility is complete with four, fully-equipped operatories, a laboratory, radiology facilities and a classroom. 

Extracurricular Activities

The Dental Assisting Club is a voluntary campus organization comprised of students, faculty and staff at MCC. The club works to provide students with opportunities to promote their profession in the community, to participate in fundraisers, outreach activities, conventions and seminars, and to learn about people and agencies that play a vital role in the dental assisting field.