Dental Assistants are highly sought after and enjoy a great pay rate. 

This course provides students with the knowledge and skills needed to assist a dentist, dental hygienist or dental therapist during all health care procedures.  The Certificate III in Dental Assistance will teach you how to prepare dental instruments for patient treatment, sterilise and disinfect dental instruments.  You will learn how to record findings from oral examinations and prepare and dispense/mix materials required for various procedures, also gaining the communication and administration skills required to work in a dental practice.

There is a major shortage of dental assistants in rural areas and employers are offering great pay packages to suitable candidates.  Dental Assistants can work in private practice, community health, school dental and hospital dental clinics.
 

Who is this course aimed at?

School leavers, people looking to enter into a career in healthcare, dentistry and allied health.
 

How is this course delivered?

This course is studied via self paced distance learning.  Students are required to complete a placement of 100 hours within a dentist practise.  The work placement will be organised by the RTO at the following locations,

• Gold Coast – 2 practices Runaway Bay and Coolangatta
• Brisbane
• Ballina
• Murwillumbah

Please Note:

You would be placed in the different practices through the three weeks, which would enable you to get acclimatised to the different surgeries. Placements are organised based on space and tutor availability at the RTO's discretion. Students may find suitable placements themselves in other locations. The RTO will provide all the necessary paperwork, guidance and insurance for the student to complete the placement successfully.

This course can be commenced prior to organising a work placement.
 

Entry Requirements:

Students must be 18 or over to study this course

The course contains the following units.

HLTHIR301A – Communicate and work effectively in health

This Unit of Competency describes the skills and knowledge required to work effectively in a

health setting with clients, staff, visitors, suppliers and others to meet established work

requirements.

Unit Topics

• Work ethically

• Communicate effectively in a health setting

• Practice high standards of personal hygiene

• Promote a positive approach to health

• Maintain professional work standards

• Work effectively within the health care system

• Take responsibility for personal skill development

 

HLTIN301A – Comply with infection control policies and procedures in health work

This Unit of Competency describes the skills and knowledge required for workers to comply

with infection control policies and procedures. All procedures must be carried out in

accordance with current infection control guidelines, Australian and New Zealand Standards

for maintaining infection control and the policies and procedures of the organisation.

Unit Topics

• Follow infection control guidelines

• Identify and respond to infection risks

• Maintain personal hygiene

• Use personal protective equipment

• Limit contamination

• Handle, package, label, store, transport and dispose of clinical and other waste

• Clean environmental surfaces

 

HLTIN302A – Process reusable instruments and equipment in health work

This Unit of Competency describes the skills and knowledge required for workers in the health

care setting to clean and sterilise reusable instruments and equipment and to maintain

associated environments. All procedures must be carried out in accordance with current

infection control guidelines, Australia and New Zealand Standards and the policies and

procedures of the health care establishment.

Unit Topics

• Prepare to clean used items

• Clean and dry used items

• Prepare and pack items for sterilisation

• Sterilise loads

• Maintain sterilising equipment

 

HLTOHS200A – Participate in OH&S processes

This unit specifies the workplace performance required for an entry level employee to

participate in OH&S processes in the workplace, in order to ensure their own health and

safety at work, as well as that of others in the workplace who may be affected by their

actions.

Unit Topics

• Plan and prepare to work safely

• Conduct work safely

• Participate in OH&S consultative activities

• Follow emergency response procedures

 

HLTDA303B – Prepare for an assist with oral health care procedures

This Unit of Competency describes the skills and knowledge required for a Dental Assistant to

assist the operator by preparing the dental surgery, including preparation of necessary

equipment, instruments and materials, for oral health care procedures and to assist the

operator during the delivery of these procedures.

Unit Topics

• Prepare the dental surgery for oral health care procedures

• Use dental terminology in communication within the health care setting

• Record personal, medical and dental details

• Select and prepare the syringe safely for local anaesthesia

• Assist the operator during oral health care procedures

• Maintain and store instruments, equipment, materials and medicaments

 

HLTDA304B – Assist with dental radiography

This Unit of Competency describes the skills and knowledge required for a Dental Assistant to

assist the operator by preparing clients, equipment and materials for dental radiography, to

protect themselves, the client, other members of the dental team and the public from the

hazards associated with ionising radiation and to process and mount dental radiographs to

diagnostic and quality assurance standards.

Unit Topics

• Prepare client for dental radiography

• Prepare equipment and materials for dental radiography

• Process and mount dental radiographs

• Maintain stock of unexposed radiographic film and chemicals

• Assure the quality of dental radiographic processing

 

HLTDA306B – Assist with administration in dental practice

This Unit of Competency describes the skills and knowledge required for a Dental Assistant to

assist the operator by maintaining appointments to suit the client and the organisation, to

record and reconcile payments and to maintain client records.

Unit Topics

• Communicate effectively with clients and other persons

• Respond appropriately to enquiries from clients and visitors

• Allocate appointments appropriate to client and organisation requirements

• Calculate and record basic financial transactions

• Handle cash and record financial transactions

• Maintain client records

• Assist with client recalls

 

HLTFA301B – Apply First Aid

This Unit of Competency describes the skills and knowledge required to provide first aid

response, life support, management of casualty(s), the incident and other first aiders, until

the arrival of medical or other assistance.