Western School of Health and Business

Dental Assistant: Diploma Program

At Western School of Health and Business Careers, Monroeville (WSHBC) the Dental Assistant program is structured to train students in a wide variety of office situations. Students will be trained in dental instruments, x-rays and radiography, chairside assisting, dental anatomy, terminology and office administration. The fundamentals of the course of study consist of classroom instruction, laboratory work, as well as experience in a clinic. The final section of the curriculum will include an externship where students will work in a supervised clinical environment to gain experience. This externship will require students to complete competencies, logs and evaluations. If the graduates have studied, attended class, completed their externship and diligently practiced their skills they will leave us with the necessary skills to obtain entry level employment as dental assistants.

The American Dental Association's Commission on Dental Accreditation has not granted accreditation to WSHBC's Dental Assisting program. WSHBC encourages its Dental Assistant program graduates to take the certification exam given by the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB). Although it is not mandatory, the certification exam can significantly increase the odds of finding employment. After graduation and subsequently performing 3500 hours of work as a dental assistant, program graduates will be eligible to take this certification exam. WSHBC has no control over the registration and certification requirements for taking and passing this examination which is overseen by outside agencies and may be changed without prior notification. Regardless of eligibility status at the time of enrollment, WSHBC cannot guarantee graduates that they will be eligible to take the certification exam at any specific time or at all.

STATE LICENSURE/REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Individual states are in control of their respective requirements for licensure and/or registration which are subject to change without notice. In order to work in Pennsylvania, dental assistants must take and pass a state certification exam. WSBHC has no official connection with state licensing or registration criteria, and does not guarantee that graduates will satisfy the requirements for working as dental assistants in Pennsylvania or any other state, ever or at any particular time, whatever their status might be when they enroll in the program.