Comprehensive Didactic Component

The didactic component helps prepare dental assistants to take the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB) Radiation Health and Safety (RHS) written examination which must be passed in order to obtain the Indiana Limited Dental Radiography License.

The dental radiography student will be provided with lesson objectives, lecture outlines, study guides and recommended reading assignments for each lesson. Each week students will complete one lesson (refer to page 5 for comprehensive didactic course outline) which will include three hours of instruction and three hours for recitation and testing each week. The radiography student will be given a midterm and final exam of sample DANB RHS test questions to prepare him/her for the Dental Assisting National Boards. The student is expected to master the didactic portion with 80 percent proficiency.

After successfully completing the didactic component, the student radiographer will receive a Program Certificate of Didactic Dental Radiography Competency, personalized instructions and assistance in completing all required ISDH forms and applications.

The instruction of the Dental Radiography program is provided by a dental professional instructor who is a graduate of the IUSD Dental Assisting and Expanded Functions Program, has a Masters from IU in Allied Health Education, has an Indiana Standard Teaching License and over thirty years experience as a licensed teacher and curriculum developer in comprehensive dental assisting programs. She has CDA and EFDA certificates and the Indiana Limited Dental Radiography License.

Content

Comprehensive Clinical Component

The comprehensive clinical component enlists the sponsorship of the student radiographer’s employee/dentist to assist in providing hands-on experience. The radiography skills will be taught, practiced and tested at the JEL Dental Assisting facilities for three hours on Saturdays during the program. During the classroom clinical portion, the student radiographer will be taught by demonstration and through simulation practice using Dexter radiography manikins (times will be arranged to provide smaller instructional groups for adequate practice). The clinical component will be completed by the student’s sponsoring dentist includes specified radiographs to be exposed on dental patients to ensure that student radiographer’s skill and patient care techniques are mastered. Both the JEL faculty and sponsoring dentist will evaluate the student radiographer’s clinical skills. The JEL faculty will provide evaluation forms and clinical site agreements for the sponsoring dentist. Students are expected to master specified skills at a minimum of 80 percent (skills are listed on p 6). Students who are not currently employed will need to complete an internship in a local dental office or clinic; dentists may require a fee for this portion of the training. Clinical sites for these students will be arranged by the radiographer student and JEL faculty. A minimum of three hours a week during the JEL radiography course is required (a minimum of 54 total documented hours). After successfully completing the didactic component, the student radiographer will receive a Program Certificate of Clinical Dental Radiography Competency signed off by JEL Dental Radiography Instructors and sponsoring dentist, personalized instructions and assistance in completing all required ISDH forms and applications.

Dental Radiography Entrance Requirements

The Post-Secondary Radiography Program is designed to assist incumbent dental assistants and formally trained assistants seeking his/her first position as a dental assistant in obtaining the required knowledge and skills to earn the proper state permit/license. The dental radiography candidates need to possess general dental assisting knowledge and skills prior to acceptance into the dental radiography program.

The radiography candidate must pass an entrance examination at 75 percent proficiency. The examination content outline includes: dental nomenclature and terminology, professional ethical/legal considerations in the practice of dentistry, regulatory agencies, HIPAA , disease transmission, infection control, dental anatomy, oral pathology and patient and records management. A Dental Entrance Review Course is available for students who need additional mediation to successfully pass the entrance examination.

Dental Entrance Review Course

The Dental Entrance Review Course includes twelve mediation lessons and two examination review and test dates. Students are expected to complete study packets between official classroom instructions. The course outline is as follows:

Lesson 1 and 2: Overview of Background Dental Assisting Theory Dental Terminology and Nomenclature, Professionalism, Ethical/Legal Considerations, Regulatory Agencies, HIPAA, Bloodborne Pathogens, Infection Control Best Practices, Dental Anatomy/Histology, Head and Neck Anatomy, Embryology and Oral Pathology.

Lesson 3: Oral Anatomy Soft Tissues of Face, Divisions of the Oral Cavity, Types and Morphology of Teeth, Naming Teeth and Numbering Systems and Locational Terminology

Lesson 4: Tooth Histology Parts and Tissues of a Tooth and the Functioning Tooth

Lesson 5: Soft Tissue and the Periodontium Structures Lining the Mouth and Throat, Tongue, Salivary Glands/Ducts, Periodontal Tissues, Signs of Healthy Periodontal Tissues and Edentulous Landmarks.

Lesson 6: Dentition Deciduous Dentition: Developing Dentition, Functioning Deciduous Teeth, Naming and Numbering Deciduous Teeth and Eruption Patterns. Adult Dentition: Developing Permanent Dentition, Naming and Numbering Adult Teeth and Eruption Patterns. Mixed Dentition: Comparison of Deciduous and Permanent Teeth

Lesson 7: Landmarks and Clinical Anatomy Tooth Topography, Tooth Elevations and Tooth Depressions, Geometric Charting Tooth Symbols, Tooth Surfaces and Combining Location Terms

Lesson 8: Oral Embryology Development of the Oral Cavity, Prenatal Period, Stages of Tooth Development and Life Cycle of a Tooth

Lesson 9: Skull Function of Bones, Bone Histology and Major Bones of the Skull

Lesson 10: Bones of the Maxilla and Mandible

Lesson 11: TMJ and Articulation

Lesson 12: Oral Pathology Common Affecting Soft Tissue, Hard Tissue Pathologies, Pathologies Affecting the Tooth, Pathologies Affecting the Periodontium and Pathologies found in the Head and Neck

Note Lesson 3 -12 include practice in recognizing anatomical structures and pathologies using radiographs. Additional remediation times needed and costs will be determined on individual radiography student situation.