Welcome to the Dental Assisting Program offered at Wake Technical Community College.

The dental assistant takes on significant responsibility as a member of the dental health care team. Assistants greatly increase the efficiency of the dentist in the delivery of quality oral health care and are valuable members of the dental care team. If you have strong communication skills, enjoy working with your hands as well as your mind and want a career with responsibility, dental assisting is for you. The Dental Assisting Program is founded on humanistic teaching, service, scholarly endeavors, and patient care. The learning environment should stimulate the discovery of new knowledge, techniques and service that contribute to the holistic health of the public as well as growth of the dental assisting profession. The faculty’s primary responsibilities are to provide comprehensive approaches to student development that include and encourage critical, independent, and professional thinking. Ultimately the Department is committed to providing educational programs for a culturally diverse student population to optimize each individual’s growth.

The Dental Assisting curriculum prepares individuals to assist the dentist in the delivery of dental treatment and to function as integral members of the dental team 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 experiences provide students with knowledge in infection/hazard control, radiography, dental materials, preventive dentistry, and clinical procedures. Graduates may be eligible to take the Dental Assisting National Board Examination to become Certified Dental Assistants. As a Dental Assistant II, defined by the Dental Laws of North Carolina, graduates work in dental offices and other related areas.