Dental Assisting

• Description: This course is an introduction to the Foothill College Dental Assisting Program for the incoming student. In this course, the student will explore all aspects of dental practice, including dental specialties, historical context, professional and legal responsibilities, and the crucial role of the dental auxiliary. This course focuses on ensuring that students respect patient privacy, uphold the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and adhere to the Foothill College Academic Honor Code. Student rights and responsibilities, student-centered strategies for success, and time management skills are emphasized. This course also covers record keeping, effective patient-centered communication, and positive interpersonal relations in preparation for working in clinical settings. Intended for students in the Dental Assisting Program; enrollment is limited to students accepted in the program.
• Prerequisite:
• Corequisite:
• Advisory:
• Repeatability: Not Repeatable.
• Hours: 1 hours lecture per week. 12 hours total per quarter.
• Foothill GE Area:
• Transferability: CSU
• Transfer GE: Information regarding how this course is applied toward CSU GE/Breadth or IGETC certification is available at:
• Foothill Transfer GE Guide

Department Note:

• Description: Introduction to chairside assisting; use and care of dental equipment, patient management, instrument identification; overview of common dental procedures, such as composite, amalgam, partials, dentures, root canals, crown and bridge appointments; manipulation of dental materials commonly prepared or used by the dental assistant, including temporary dressings, impression materials, cement bases and liners, topical agents, composites, resins and amalgams. Intended for students in the Dental Assisting Program; enrollment is limited to students accepted in the program.
• Prerequisite:
• Corequisite:
• Advisory:
• Repeatability: Not Repeatable.
• Hours: 6.5 hours lecture per week, 13 hours lab per week. 234 hours total per quarter.
• Foothill GE Area:
• Transferability: CSU
• Transfer GE: Information regarding how this course is applied toward CSU GE/Breadth or IGETC certification is available at:
• Foothill Transfer GE Guide

Department Note:

• Description: Introduction to dental radiology. Emphasis on production, characteristics, biologic effects, radiation safety and protection. Introduction to intraoral long-cone radiographic techniques, image capture and scanning. Intended for students in the Dental Assisting Program; enrollment is limited to students accepted in the program.
• Prerequisite:
• Corequisite:
• Advisory:
• Repeatability: Not Repeatable.
• Hours: 2 hours lecture per week, 3 hours lab per week. 60 hours total per quarter.
• Foothill GE Area:
• Transferability: CSU
• Transfer GE: Information regarding how this course is applied toward CSU GE/Breadth or IGETC certification is available at:
• Foothill Transfer GE Guide

Department Note:

• Description: Familiarization with the scope of practice in both general and specialty dental office settings. The emphasis of this survey class will be on the role of the auxiliary personnel in each of the different types of dental practices. Intended for students in the Dental Assisting Program; enrollment is limited to students accepted in the program.
• Prerequisite:
• Corequisite:
• Advisory:
• Repeatability: Not Repeatable.
• Hours: 1 hours lecture per week. 12 hours total per quarter.
• Foothill GE Area:
• Transferability: CSU
• Transfer GE: Information regarding how this course is applied toward CSU GE/Breadth or IGETC certification is available at:
• Foothill Transfer GE Guide

Department Note:

• Description: Discussion of anatomy and morphology of the teeth, the eruption sequence and process; normal occlusion, development and class of malocclusions; anatomy of the skull, arteries and veins, musculature and nervous structures of the head and neck. Intended for students in the Dental Assisting Program; enrollment is limited to students accepted in the program.
• Prerequisite:
• Corequisite:
• Advisory:
• Repeatability: Not Repeatable.
• Hours: 2 hours lecture per week, 1 hours lab per week. 36 hours total per quarter.
• Foothill GE Area:
• Transferability: CSU
• Transfer GE: Information regarding how this course is applied toward CSU GE/Breadth or IGETC certification is available at:
• Foothill Transfer GE Guide

Department Note:

• Description: Introduction to infectious diseases important to dentistry. Lecture, lab, and clinical instruction on disinfection, instrument decontamination, sterilization procedures, and tray set-up preparation. Regulatory compliance agencies, including the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Dental Board of California, as well as advisory bodies, such as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the American Dental Association (ADA), will be covered. Hazardous materials and waste management practices according to regulatory statutes and guidelines and the protocols and emergency procedures for hazardous and biohazardous waste or materials. Intended for students in the Dental Assisting Program; enrollment is limited to students accepted in the program.
• Prerequisite:
• Corequisite:
• Advisory:
• Repeatability: Not Repeatable.
• Hours: 1.5 hours lecture per week, 1 hours lab per week. 30 hours total per quarter.
• Foothill GE Area:
• Transferability: CSU
• Transfer GE: Information regarding how this course is applied toward CSU GE/Breadth or IGETC certification is available at:
• Foothill Transfer GE Guide

Department Note: