Certificate in Dental Assisting

The dental assisting program at IU Northwest is a one year, 37 credit hour certificate program.  A dental assistant is a member of the dental health team who is educated to assist the dentist. The dental assistant aids the dentist in the detection, care, and treatment of the patient’s oral health.

Graduates that have completed a professional, accredited program are eligible to take a national certification examination administered by the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB).  Upon successful completion of this examination, the assistant becomes a Certified Dental Assistant (CDA).

Dental Assisting Departmental Information Sheet

Clinical Externship Hour Requirements

A minimum of 300 clinical externship hours are required to meet academic and accreditation standards. Therefore, all clinical externship hours are mandatory and all missed time must be made up.  See the Dental Education Policy & Procedure Handbook and/or course syllabus for specific policies regarding clinical externship policies.

Advanced Degree

IU Northwest offers an educational program that allows students to apply a select number of their dental assisting credits toward an associate of science or a bachelor's degree in another discipline.

Fall Semester

• DAST A212 Dental Therapeutics and Medical Emergencies (2 cr.)

• DAST A221 Microbiology and Asepsis Technique (2 cr.)

• DAST A271 Clinical Science I (5 cr.)

• DHYG H214 Oral Anatomy (3 cr.)

• DHYG H242 Introduction to Dentistry (1 cr.)

• DHYG H303 Radiology (3 cr.)

 Total 16 credit hours

 Spring Semester

• DAST A211 Oral Pathology, Physiology, and Anatomy I (2 cr.)

• DAST A213 Oral Pathology, Physiology, and Anatomy II (1 cr.)

• DAST A231 Dental Materials I (2 cr.)

• DAST A241 Preventive Dentistry and Nutrition (2 cr.)

• DAST A252 Radiology Clinic II (1 cr.)

• DAST A272 Clinical Science II (5 cr.)

 Total 13 credit hours

Summer I Session

• DAST A232 Dental Materials II (2 cr.)

• DAST A261 Behavioral Science (1 cr.)

• DAST A262 Written and Oral Communication (2 cr.)

• DAST A282 Practice Management, Ethics, and Jurisprudence (2 cr.)

• DHYG H224 Oral Histology and Embryology (1 cr.)

  Total 8 credit hours

Additional Information

Please contact the Dental Education Program Advisor, Dawn Marciniak for additional information at (219) 980-6770 or by email at dmarcini@iu.edu.