Photo of Dental Instruments

Department Info

Dental Assisting

Welcome

The Dental Assisting program is offered by the Department of Dental Education in the Indiana University—Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW) College of Health and Human Services. Our program is recognized as a best practice model for dental assisting programs throughout the United States and is accredited through the American Dental Association.

Dental assistants have one of the most diverse and interesting of all positions in a dental office. The job demands versatility and a willingness to assume responsibility for many different tasks.

Dental assistants must be reliable, work well with others, and have good manual dexterity. Dental assistants provide different types of chairside patient care, office duties, and laboratory duties. They do not perform the same tasks that dental hygienists are licensed to perform.

Dental assistants have great flexibility in the dental field including private practice in genral dental offices, with specialty dental offices or by choosing to work full-time or part-time. Career advancement for dental assistants may include dental assisting program educators, staff trainers, office management, or dental product sales representatives.

The job outlook for dental assistants is excellent--employment in this field is expected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations through 2014. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that it will be the third fastest growing occupation.

A Day in a Dental Assistant's Life:

On a typical day a dental assistant who delivers patient care will:

  • make patients as comfortable as possible in the dental chair, prepare them for treatment, and obtain dental records;
  • work chairside with the dentist-exchange instruments and materials, and keep the mouth free of debris;
  • sterilize and disinfect instruments and equipment, prepare tray setups for dental procedures, and instruct patients on postoperative and general oral health care;
  • prepare materials for making impressions and restorations, expose and process dental radiographs;
  • remove sutures, apply topial anesthetics and assist with anesthetic administration, appy dental sealants to teeth, and place dental dams on the teeth to isolate them for individual treatment;

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On a typical day a dental assistant who performs laboratory duties will:

  • make casts of the teeth and mouth from impressions;
  • clean and polish removable appliances;
  • make temporary crowns;

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On a typical day a dental assistant who performs office duties will:

  • schedule and confirm appointments;
  • receive patients;
  • keep treatment records;
  • send bills and receive payments;
  • order supplies and materials