A registered dental assistant may perform procedures for which they have been adequately trained and which a lawfully licensed and duly registered dentist delegates to them.  They must be directly supervised by said dentist for duties including:

• Assisting dentist during all chair-side procedures
• Radiography
• Application of topical fluorides
• Instruction of patients in dietary principles
• Taking & recording a patient’s blood pressure, pulse, temperature, medical history and charting of oral condition
• Maintenance of instruments and operatory infection control
• Preparation of instrument trays
• Other duties as delegated by dentist

The course curriculum covers all aspects of dentistry including, but not limited to, anatomy and physiology; tooth morphology; infection control and restorative dentistry along with all areas of radiology in the dental office.

The State of Tennessee no longer requires students to complete a course or state-administered exam to become a Registered Dental Assistant.  However, the state does require applicants to receive  14 hours of state-approved dental radiology training which is covered in this course.  Additionally, this class prepares students to work in a dentist’s office and we find that dentists often still prefer their assistants to have completed this entire course.   

Course Location

Walters State Community College

1720 Old Newport Highway

Sevierville, TN  37876

Class Dates & Times

Tuesdays & Thursdays beginning June 24 through November 13, 2008

Class times:  6:00 – 9:00 PM

Walters State Campus in Sevierville

Registration and Payment Deadline

June 17, 2008

 Program Expenses and Requirements

c      $450               Registration Fee, Paid to Walters State Community College, Due June 17

c      $150               Textbooks, Students may purchase required books directly from the Office

of Continuing Education at the time of registration or on the first day of class.  Students may also borrow the exact same materials or purchase them online.  Text details:

§         Modern Dental Assisting Textbook/Workbook, 8^th edition (Torres &  

                Ehrlich)  ISBN:4160-0222-7  

§         Essentials of Dental Radiography for Dental Assistants and Hygienists, 8^th edition.  (Johnson & Thomson)  ISBN:  0131710087

In order to make an application to the Tennessee Board of Dentistry to become a registered dental assistant, an individual must have a valid high school diploma, be at least 18 years of age, and have proof of U.S. citizenship.  An applicant must also submit the following to the Tennessee Board of Dentistry.

c      $56               Criminal Background Check: Student will be given information and will be

responsible for completing this requirement.  

c      $50               CPR Certification if not currently certified.  Please tell our office if you are interested in taking an American Heart Association certification  class through Walters State Community College.

c      $15               Dental Radiology Form found at www.health.tn.us

c      $40               Application to be Registered at www.health.tn.us

 The deadline to register and pay is June 17

Janice C. Bettis

Director of Continuing Education - Sevierville

Janice.Bettis@ws.edu    865-774-5852