Dental Assisting
Dental Assisting Program Curriculum
Full Time Schedule for Associate Degree in Applied Arts and Sciences
The following additional coursework is required to qualify for the Associate in Applied Arts and Sciences degree in Dental Assisting:
| COURSE NUMBER | COURSE NAME | CREDIT HOUR | CONTACT HOUR |
|---|---|---|---|
| EN 101 | English Composition 1 | 3 | 3 |
| PY 201 | General Psychology | 3 | 3 |
| COM 131 or COM 135 | Interpersonal Communication | 3 | 3 |
| SO 251or SO 254 | Principles of Sociology | 3 | 3 |
| Humanities Elective | Any humanities elective that meets catalog year criteria (see GRCC catalog 2020-2021) | 2-3 | 2-3 |
| Natural Science/Mathematics Elective | Any natural science/mathematics elective that meets catalog year 2020-2021) | 3-5 | 3-5 |
| Total | 17-20 | 17-20 |
There are necessary requirements that must be completed to be placed on the Dental Assisting wait list. Please visit www.grcc.edu/health to obtain the pre-program requirements.
First Year
Fall Semester
| COURSE NUMBER | COURSE NAME | CREDIT HOUR | CONTACT HOUR | LECTURE | LAB | CLINIC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DXX 104 | Infection Control for Dentistry (wks 1-7) | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| DXX 115 | Introduction to Dentistry (wks 1-7) (can be completed prior to starting the program) | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| DAA 112 | Science for the Dental Assistant (wks 1-14) (BI117, BI 121 or BI 122 can substitute for DAA112) | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| DAA 114 | Nutrition and Oral Disease Prevention (wks 1-14) | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| DAA 116 | Assisting in General Dentistry I (wks 1-14) | 6 | 10 | 2 | 8 | 0 |
| DAA 118 | Dental Biomaterials (wks 8-14) | 2 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| DAA 120 | Dental and Oral Anatomy , Histology and Embryology for DA (wks 1-7) | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| DAA 128A | Dental Radiography I (LAB) (wks 8-14) | 2.5 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| Total | 20.5 | 27 | 27 | 17 | 0 |
Winter Semester
| COURSE NUMBER | COURSE NAME | CREDIT HOUR | CONTACT HOUR | LECTURE | LAB | CLINIC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DXX 128B | Dental Radiography II (CLINIC) (wks 1-7) | 2.5 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 2 |
| DAA 121 | Oral Pathology for Dental Assisting (wks 1-7) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| DAA 122 | Applied Principles of Dental Assisting I Practicum (wks 11-14) | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 12* |
| DAA 123 | Applied Principles of Dental Assisting I Practicum Lecture (wks. 11-14) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| DAA 131 | Registered Dental Assisting Functions | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| DAA 132 | Registered Dental Assisting Functions Practicum | 4 | 12 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| DAA 133 | Registered Dental Assisting Functions Practicum Lecture | 4 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| DAA 129 | Business Management of the Dental Office (wks. 1-7) | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 16.5 | 28 | 13 | 17 | 14 |
Summer Semester
| COURSE NUMBER | COURSE NAME | CREDIT HOUR | CONTACT HOUR | LECTURE | LAB | CLINIC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DAA 138 | Applied Principles of Dental Assisting II Practicum | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 32 |
| DAA 139 | Principles of Dental Assisting II Practicum Lecture | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 7 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 32 |
Dental Assisting Curriculum Total
- Credit hour = 44
- Contact hour = 62
- Lecture = 42
- Lab = 34
Dental Assisting Certificate
For an Associates Degree in Applied Arts and Sciences additional general education courses are required.
First Year
Fall Semester
| COURSE NUMBER | COURSE NAME | CREDIT HOUR | CONTACT HOUR | LECTURE | LAB | CLINIC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DXX 115 | Introduction to Dentistry (wks 1-7) | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| DAA 112 | Science for the Dental Assistant (wks 1-14) | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| DAA 114 | Nutrition and Oral Disease Prevention | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| DAA 120 | Dental and Oral Anatomy, Histology, and Embryology for DA (wks 1-7) | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 8 | 8 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
Winter Semester
| COURSE NUMBER | COURSE NAME | CREDIT HOUR | CONTACT HOUR | LECTURE | LAB | CLINIC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DAA 121 | Oral Pathology for Dental Assisting (wks 1-7) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| DAA 129 | Business Management of the Dental Office (wks 1-7) | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Second Year
Fall Semester
| COURSE NUMBER | COURSE NAME | CREDIT HOUR | CONTACT HOUR | LECTURE | LAB | CLINIC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DXX 104 | Infection Control for Dentistry (wks 1-7) | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| DAA 116 | Assisting in General Dentistry I (wks 1-14) | 6 | 10 | 2 | 8 | 0 |
| DAA 118 | Dental Biomaterials (wks 8-14) | 2 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| DXX 128A | Dental Radiography I (LAB) (wks 8-14) | 2.5 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| Total | 12.5 | 19 | 11 | 17 | 0 |
Winter Semester
| COURSE NUMBER | COURSE NAME | CREDIT HOUR | CONTACT HOUR | LECTURE | LAB | CLINIC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DXX 128B | Dental Radiography II (CLINIC) (wks 1-7) | 2.5 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 2 |
| DAA 122 | Applied Principles of Dental Assisting I Practicum (wks. 11-14) | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12* |
| DAA 123 | Applied Principles of Dental Assisting I Practicum Lecture (Wks. 11-14) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| DAA 131 | Registered Dental Assisting Functions | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| DAA 132 | Registered Dental Assisting Functions Practicum | 4 | 12 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| DAA 133 | Registered Dental Assisting Functions Practicum Lecture | 4 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 14.5 | 26 | 10 | 17 | 14 |
Summer Semester
| COURSE NUMBER | COURSE NAME | CREDIT HOUR | CONTACT HOUR | LECTURE | LAB | CLINIC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DAA 138 | Applied Principles of Dental Assisting II Practicum | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 32 |
| DAA 139 | Principles of Dental Assisting II Practicum Lecture | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 7 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 32 |
Dental Assisting Curriculum Total
- Credit hour = 44
- Contact hour = 62
- Lecture = 42
- Lab = 34
*Curriculum is subject to change upon the director’s discretion For more information, please visit the Dental Program or call Health Admissions at (616) 234-4348.
Dental Hygiene Program Curriculum
There are necessary requirements that must be completed to be placed on the waitlist. Please visit Allied Health to obtain the pre-program requirements.
First Year
Fall Semester
| COURSE NUMBER | COURSE NAME | CREDIT HOUR | CONTACT HOUR |
|---|---|---|---|
| DXX 104 | Infection Control (1-7 wks) | 2 | 3 |
| DXX 115 | Introduction to Dentistry | 2 | 2 |
| DHY 124 | Root Morphology and Function | 2 | 2 |
| DHY 122 | Nutrition and Oral Disease Prevention | 3 | 3 |
| DHY 114 | Oral Anatomy, Embryology, and Histology | 2 | 2 |
| DHY 117 | Pre-Clinic Theory 1 | 2 | 2 |
| DHY 118 | Pre-Clinic Laboratory 1 | 4 | 8 |
| Total | 17 | 22 |
Winter Semester
| COURSE NUMBER | COURSE NAME | CREDIT HOUR | CONTACT HOUR |
|---|---|---|---|
| DXX 128A | Dental Radiography II (Lecture/clinic) (1-7wks) | 2.5 | 3 |
| DXX 128B | Dental Imaging on Manikins (lecture/lab) (8-14wks) | 2.5 | 3 |
| DHY 131 | Introduction to Dental Hygiene Patient Care and Management (8-14wks) | 1 | 1 |
| DHY 123 | General and Oral Pathology for Dental Hygiene | 3 | 3 |
| DHY 255 | Dental Ethics and Jurisprudence (8-14 wks) | 1 | 1 |
| DHY 137 | Periodontology | 3 | 3 |
| DHY 127 | Pre-Clinic Theory II | 2 | 2 |
| DHY 128 | Pre-Clinic Laboratory II | 4 | 8 |
| Total | 19 | 24 |
Second Year
Fall Semester
| COURSE NUMBER | COURSE NAME | CREDIT HOUR | CONTACT HOUR |
|---|---|---|---|
| DHY 240 | Pain Management I Local Anesthesia lab and Lecture | 2 | 3 |
| DHY 241 | Dental Hygiene Patient Care and Management 2 (1-14 wks) | 2 | 2 |
| DHY 242 | Advanced Instrumentation and Treatment Modalities | 1 | 1 |
| DHY 244 | Community Dental Health 1 | 3 | 3 |
| DHY 246 | Pharmacology for Dental Hygiene | 2 | 2 |
| DHY 249 | Clinical Dental Hygiene 2 | 4 | 12 |
| Total | 14 | 23 |
Winter Semester
| Course Number | Course Name | Credit Hour | Contact Hour |
| DHY 250 | Pain Management II - Nitrous Oxide | 1 | 1 |
| DHY 251 | Dental Hygiene Patient Care and Management 3 | 1 | 1 |
| DHY 254 | Community Dental Health 2 | 3 | 3 |
| DHY 256 | Dental Hygiene Professional Management (8-14 wks) | 1 | 1 |
| DHY 257 | Advanced Treatment Modalities and Evaluation in Dental Hygiene | 2 | 2 |
| DHY 259 | Clinical Dental Hygiene 3 | 4 | 12 |
| Total | 12 | 20 |
Pre-Program Requirements
The four science courses listed must be completed with a C grade or higher to be placed on the Dental Hygiene waitlist. The classes must be completed within two attempts. A withdrawal = one attempt.
| COURSE NUMBER | COURSE NAME | CREDIT HOUR | CONTACT HOUR |
|---|---|---|---|
| BI 121 | Human Anatomy and Physiology 1 (meets the natural science and mathematics elective) | 4 | 5 |
| BI 122 | Human Anatomy and Physiology 2 | 4 | 5 |
| BI 127 | Microbiology | 4 | 7 |
| CHM 210 | Inorganic, Organic, and Biochemistry | 5 | 6 |
| Total | 16 | 23 |
The following courses are completed in the first or second semester and students are highly encouraged to complete all of the non-dental courses prior to beginning the dental hygiene curriculum. This way scheduling is much less complex, and the student can focus all energies on the professional training part of the program when they begin the dental hygiene curriculum
| COURSE NUMBER | COURSE NAME | CREDIT HOUR | CONTACT HOUR |
|---|---|---|---|
| EN 101 | English Composition 1 | 3 | 3 |
| SO 251 or SO 254 or SO 260 | Principles of Sociology OR Social Problems OR Race and Ethnicity | 3 | 3 |
| PY 201 | General Psychology | 3 | 3 |
| COM 131 or COM 135 | Fundamentals of Public Speaking or Interpersonal Communication | 3 | 3 |
| HUM Elective | Any approved humanities course (Confirm the course is approved in the 2020-2021 GRCC College Catalog) | 3-4 | 3-4 |
| Total (minimum) | 15 | 15 |
Dental Hygiene AAAS Degree Credit Hour Total = 102
Dental Hygiene AAAS Degree Contact Hour Total = 141