RDA Course

The Registered Dental Assistant Course with Radiology  meets for 10 weeks + orientation and consists of the following:

189 contact hours as follows: (includes an 8 hour orientation/CPR certification)

*93.5  hours of weekly in person clinic and test sessions are 1 day a week from 8am-5pm with a 30 minute lunch from 12:30-1pm.(you can choose your in person day to attend. We offer this selection on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays or Saturday’s each week- once you choose your in-person day, you will attend that same day each week)

*27.5 hours of weekly synchronous zoom lectures (you must attend one night a week from 6-8:45pm) There will be lecture on Mondays and Thursdays and you can select either day as long as you attend one of them. = 26.5 hours

*20 hours of mandatory shadowing hours at a dental office(s). Students are required to secure dental offices for shadowing. The Dental Staff School of Tennessee does NOT have any agreements or affiliate contracts with dentist to provide these shadowing hours to the student. Students must locate their own offices to complete the 20 hours of shadowing.

*48 hours of directed e-learning  throughout the 10 weeks

-online coursework consists of online homework assignments, videos and exercises presented through the online platform LMS Evolve

 

 Registered Dental Assisting with Radiology Admission Requirements:

-Student must be 18 years old

-Complete a tour of the school in person or virtually

–Receive a copy of the course syllabus and course catalog

-Complete the pre-enrollment checklist

-Transfer of Credit Disclosure

-Complete the Enrollment Agreement

-An original High School Transcript , GED Completion form or post secondary transcript (must show HS graduation date) sent to us directly from the school

 

We offer 4 sessions each year

The Registered Dental Assisting Program is held four (4) times each year. We ask students to make sure the class dates they chose are a good time for their schedule.  Our 2023 Sessions are as follows:

WINTER Session 2023 (Registration is closed )

Orientation will be held in December (1 day from 8am-5pm with lunch 12:30-1:00pm required. Exact date will depend on student course day selection)

Session runs from January 4th – March 11th (students meet on their selected day of the week from 8am-5pm with lunch 12:30-1:00pm)

Weekly Evening Synchronous Lectures via zoom (2 hours 45 minutes) – student must attend one evening session each week from 6pm-8:45pm

**No holiday closure during winter session

SPRING Session 2023 (Registration is closed)

Orientation will be held on March 6th– 9th (1 day 8:00am-5:00pm with lunch 12:30-1:00pm required. Exact date will depend on student course day selection)

Sessions runs from March 14th– May 20th (students meet on their selected day of the week from 8am-5pm with lunch 12:30-1:00pm)

Weekly Synchronous Lectures via zoom (2 hours 45 minutes)- student must attend one evening session each week from 6pm-8:45pm

** No holiday closure during spring session

SUMMER Session 2023 (registrations begins March 10th and ends June 15th)

Orientation will be held on June 20th-24th (1 day  8:00am-5:00pm with lunch  12:30-1:00pm required. Exact date will depend on student course day selection)

Sessions runs from June 27th-September 2nd(students meet on their selected day of the week from 8am-5pm with lunch 12:30-1:00pm)

Weekly Synchronous Lectures via zoom (2 hours 45 minutes)- student must attend one evening session each week from 6pm-8:45pm

** holiday closure on Tuesday, July 4th, 2023 will be observed. The Tuesday class will attend another day for that week’s session and can select a Wednesday, Thursday, Friday or Saturday)

 FALL Session 2023 (registration begins June 20th and ends September 1st)

Orientation will be held on September 5th-9th (1 day required and day will depend on student course day selection)

Sessions runs from September 12th– November 18th (students meet on their selected day of the week from 8am-5pm with lunch 12:30-1:00pm)

Weekly Synchronous Lectures via zoom (2 hours 45 minutes)- student must attend one evening session each week from 6pm-8:45pm

Dental Staff School of Tennessee Observes the following holidays

New Years Eve

New Year’s Day

Memorial Day

4th of July

Labor Day

Thanksgiving Day

Day after Thanksgiving

Christmas Eve

Christmas Day

 

The cost of the Registered Dental Assisting program is $5,370.00 

-Mandatory Tuition Program Fee ($4750)

-Mandatory Books & supplies Program Fee ($500)- includes online activities account, and CPR Certification

– Mandatory program uniform fee( $85)

– Optional  graduation fee ($35) if planning to participate in the graduation ceremony. These fees are all paid to the school.

Third Party Fees

$39 background check fee and $55 license application fee that will be required if the student chooses to apply for licensure with the state of Tennessee. These fees are not paid to the Dental Staff School of Tennessee.

 

Tuition Refund Policy (Cancellation and Refund Policy)

1.A student who at any time withdraws, is withdrawn (including expulsion) by the institution, or otherwise fails to attend class is entitled to a full refund of any fee, regardless of whether the fee is included in tuition, paid to the institution for tangible goods or services not delivered to or fully provided to the student.

2.In addition, if a student fails to begin class on the program start date as written in the enrollment agreement or as amended by the institution, the refund shall equal the sum of all refundable fees paid and, if the student has institutional loans, forgiveness of the amounts owed by the student, less an administrative fee of one hundred dollars ($100.00)

3. In addition, if after the program has commenced and before expiration of twenty percent (20%) or less of the period of enrollment for which the student was charged, a student withdraws, is withdrawn (including expulsion) by the institution, or otherwise fails to attend classes, the refund shall be a pro rata portion of refundable fees, less an administrative fee of one hundred dollars ($100.00). If applicable, the refund shall include forgiveness of institutional loans. For example, if a student’s last day of attendance equals ten percent (10%) of the period of enrollment for which the student was charged, the institution is entitled to retain only ten percent (10%) of the refundable fees charged for the period of enrollment as well as one hundred dollars ($100.00). However, in no instance will the institution be responsible for any refund in excess of the amount paid by or on behalf of the student for the period of enrollment for which the student was charged.

4.  If after expiration of twenty percent (20%) of the period of enrollment for which the student was charged, a student withdraws, is withdrawn (including expulsion) by the institution, or otherwise fails to attend classes, the student may be deemed obligated for one hundred percent (100%) of the refundable fees charged by the institution up to the last period of enrollment charged.

5.For a student who cannot complete one (1) or more classes because the institution discontinued such a class during a period of enrollment for which the student was charged, the institution shall refund the sum of all refundable fees paid and, if the student has institutional loans, forgive the amounts owed by the student.

Last Day of Attendance:

When computing refunds pursuant to the above refund policy, the last day of attendance for the students who meets the definition of enrolled, shall either be (a) the recorded date of the students last day of attendance or (b) when applicable, the date the student failed to return from an approved leave of absence.

 

The Dental Staff School of Tennessee will train you to prepare the patient for treatment, take X-ray examinations and obtain dental records. Dental Assistants also provide the dentist with the proper instruments and materials during a patient examination.

The Dental Staff School of Tennessee’s Dental Assistant classes will prepare you to:

  • Sterilize and disinfect instruments and equipment
  • Prepare tray setups for dental procedures
  • Assist your dentist in 4-handed dentistry
  • Provide postoperative instruction
  • Instruct patients in oral health care
  • Prepare materials for making impressions and restorations
  • Taking Alginate Impressions and making temporary crowns
  • Digital X-rays
  • Expose radiographs and process dental X-ray film as directed by the Dentist

The following subjects are covered in depth from both a didactic and practical clinical experience. We offer hands-on training with all the equipment, instruments, and materials used in our  dental office.

Legal Aspects of Dental Assisting

  1. Ethics and the Law
  2. Legal Aspects of Dentistry
  3. Patient Records
  4. Dental Healthcare Team

General Anatomy and Physiology

  1. Structures of the Head and Neck
  2. Landmarks of the Face and Oral Cavity
  3. Oral Embryology and Histology
  4. Overview of Dentitions

Oral Health and Prevention

  1. Student & Patient Education of Casey
  2. Education of Dental Caries & Oral Health and Prevention
  3. Oral Pathology
  4. Health History

Sterilization Techniques and Infection Control

Sterilization theory & terminology, Autoclave, and Ultrasonic operation

  1. Instrument and equipment sterilization, disinfection, & biologic monitoring
  2. Treatment room disinfection & asepsis techniques
  3. Disease Transmission

Dental Theory and Terminology

  1. Dental and oral anatomy, tooth-numbering system
  2. Instrument nomenclature and identification for all aspects of General Dentistry
  3. Dental Terminology
  4. Equipment operation, chair positioning, assistant equipment usage.
  5. Tissues of the teeth

Four-handed Dental Assisting

  1. Instrument transfer techniques, chair-side assisting and suctioning.
  2. Chair-side doctor-patient-assistant positioning.

Use of instruments and materials in assisting for:

  1. General and Cosmetic Dentistry
  2. All Specialties – Oral Surgery, Endodontics, Pedodontics, and Orthodontics
  3. Hand-piece care and maintenance

Radiology

  1. X-ray theory and technique.
  2. Intraoral, bitewing, panoramic, and endodontic methods
  3. Digital radiography
  4. Developing x-rays using the automatic processor
  5. X-ray safety and precautions.

Impressions and Model Trimming

  1. Impression materials and practice of there use
  2. Model pouring and trimming
  3. Making bleaching trays with instructions on how to use different products

Job Interview Techniques and Marketing Skills

  1. Provide guidelines for interviewing process
  2. Resume Building Project
  3. Guest speaker on desired qualities for new hires

Overview of Dentrix Dental Software

  1. Charting
  2. Treatment Planning
  3. Scheduling
  4. Clinical Notes