Locations:

Lake Michigan College
-Bertrand Campus
-Napier Campus

Career Opportunities Include:

· Dental Assistant
· Hygienist
· Medical Assistant

GRADES: 11-12

Class Description

This college level course covers diagnostic, operative, and preventive procedures in the dental area. Students work with instruments, mannequins, computers and records. This is the beginning course for dental assistants.

· Open entry/open exit with college.

*This course may be available for college credit through Lake Michigan College.

Content Areas

n/a

Career Outlook

Dental assistants perform a variety of patient care, office, and laboratory duties. They work chair side as dentists examine and treat patients.

Dentists are expected to hire more assistants to perform routine tasks so that they may devote their own time to more profitable procedures.

Most assistants learn their skills on the job, although an increasing number are trained in dental assisting programs; most programs take one year or less to complete.

Job prospects should be excellent.

Median hourly earnings of dental assistants were $13.10 in 2002.

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics,Occupational Outlook Handbook 2004-2005 Edition.http://bls.gov/oco/