Berdan Institute

Dental Assistant Program

The goal of the Dental Assistant Program is to help students to develop skills and exhibit proficiency in a combination of dental office and laboratory processes. Proper Procedures and lab techniques may be as follows but not limited to: preliminary exams, assisting in four and six handed procedures, charting, scheduling and making appointments, keeping accurate records, sterilizing equipment and recording inventory. The qualified assistant will perform many functions, including intraoral procedures under the supervision of the dentist. A credentialed radiology assistant can take x-rays.

Graduating from the program opens a variety of job opportunities for the student. Graduates will be able to gain entry-level employment as a dental assistant in dental offices and clinics, where they will be able to utilize their skills to conduct the various laboratory techniques and office procedures listed previously.

A total of 750 hours of classroom, clinical, and lab instruction, and a 160 hour externship program are included in the Dental Assistant Program. Relevant spelling, terminology, theory and performance skills comprise some of the areas where students will be evaluated in their professional development.

Graduates of the program receive a completion certificate enabling them to take the certification test offered by the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB) and the state of New Jersey Examination for Dental Radiologic Technology. At this stage, students will have completed their Expanded Functions training and will have passed the exam in Law and Dentistry required by the New Jersey State Board of Dentistry. The completion of these two requirements entitles students to acrreditation as an RDA (Registered Dental Assistant) following on from DANB certification.

Career Opportunities

Dental Assistants are offered career opportunities in a variety of settings, including but not limited to: dentists offices, insurance companies, hospitals, nursing homes, school dental clinics, public and private health facilities. Oral surgery, endodontics, orthodontics, prosthodontics, periodontics, pedodontics as well as general practices are some examples of specialties.

Program Length

It only takes a short thirty-four weeks to complete our daytime program. It takes forty-six weeks to complete the evening program. Completion time will be longer when you add in holidays and summer breaks.