Job Interviewing Skills
Who better to teach you how to master superb job interviewing skills and techniques than someone who actually has experience with hiring dental assistants? We will not only teach you exactly what dentists are looking for, but we will also conduct mock interviews with feedback so that you can be sure to make a wonderful first impression that makes you stand out in a crowd.

Job-Specific Training
Our curriculum works top to bottom through all of the necessary and essential educational requirements needed to sustain a job as dental assistant. You will receive an in-depth education in dental anatomy, terminology, techniques, infection control, disinfecting, instrument processing, equipment use, and OSHA guidelines. You will also have access to some of the most current dental literature available today.

MDA X-ray Curriculum and Certification
You will use the Michigan Dental Association’s (MDA) curriculum to learn the correct skills necessary to pass the MDA’s state dental X-ray certification exam. If you pass the MDA’s exam, you will be legally certified to operate and use dental X-ray equipment in the state of Michigan.

Job Placement Assistance
Although we cannot promise specific job placement, and students alone will do most of the job searching, we do inform students of opportunities that come across our desk. Due to our vast connections and reputation in the profession, as well as our various professional memberships we retain, we often are privy to multiple job opportunities before they are even advertised.

Certificate of Completion and Graduation Requirements
Students must successfully complete a written midterm, final, and X-ray exam. In addition to that, students must also complete 30 hours of hands-on chairside clinical training (student to student) and demonstrate X-ray competence. In recognition of satisfactory fulfillment of the prescribed requirements, students will receive a Careers in Dental Assisting diploma. (It is something to certainly be proud of, and something that is definitely recognized and respected within the dental community.)

Letter of Recommendation
If we determine that a student has honorably fulfilled all the requirements prescribed by the Careers in Dental Assisting program, we will provide you with a letter of recommendation. This letter will relay to those interested in hiring our students an outline of our program as well as something personal that stood out throughout the course of training that we would find prudent to share. However, it is our firm and strict policy that we retain the right to refuse the writing of any such letter should we feel it is not truly warranted. (i.e., It is not a guaranteed thing, so work hard!)

Instructors

Dr. Justin Newingham, Founder and President

Dr. Newingham received his undergraduate degree from Albion College and his Doctorate in Dental Surgery degree from the University of Michigan. He is a graduate of the Spear Institute, a world-renowned postdoctoral school for advanced dentistry, and currently serves as a mentor on staff at the school in Arizona. He is also a graduate and mentor at the Kois Center, another prestigious school, located in Seattle, Washington. Dr. Newingham’s passion for education and dentistry not only shines through his resume and traveling schedule, but also with this unmatched 10-week educational experience.

Crescence Chrzanowski, CDA, Instructor and Mentor

Crescence, affectionately referred to as “Cres,” has been a dental assistant for more than three decades and has been employed at our office for more than 20 years. Cres has also been an instructor and mentor for over 15 years alongside Lynne. She is a certified dental assistant and also the materials and equipment specialist at our office.

Lynne Detar, Clinical Director and Lead Instructor

Lynne has 40+ years of experience not only as a dental assistant but also as an administrator and secretary at our practice. She also boasts over two decades of experience as a clinical director. Lynne has lectured and graduated hundreds of students who have gone on to become not only dental assistants but also hygienists and even doctors. Lynne’s expertise is unrivaled and widely known throughout the profession. Her reputation for graduating competent students often leads to recruitment requests from doctors throughout the metropolitan area.

Our Purpose

To equip our students with the knowledge, skills, experience, and confidence to obtain a job as a dental assistant or to simply broaden their expertise to pursue a career in dentistry in some other capacity. To provide this unmatched, personal educational experience for not only those who are interested, but those backed by certain state unemployment programs.

The 10-Week Course

Careers in Dental Assisting, LLC is owned and operated by Dr. Justin C. Newingham. All courses are held at Dr. Newingham’s state-of-the-art dental practice in Birmingham, Michigan. Careers in Dental Assisting, LLC is licensed by the State of Michigan to conduct courses designed to train students how to become dental assistants.

The course will run ten (10) consecutive weeks, eight classroom hours per week for a total of eighty (80) classroom hours of instruction. Another 30 hours of “practical training” will be given where you will be working on each other (student to student). Total course time will be approximately 110 hours.

These topics are listed in no particular order. All of the subjects listed below will be covered in some form whether via classroom instruction, video, hands-on clinical experience, or all three combined. Most days will consist of all three types of educational experiences and will generally run for a period of 8 hours with a lunch break. All educational tools, visual aides, textbooks, equipment, and instrumentation will be provided by Careers in Dental Assisting at no additional cost. Individual needs warrant different amounts of time for home study to prepare for course work, but our experience tells us it could range between 30 and 50 hours.

The Dental Profession (4hrs)

• Introduction to Dental Assisting

• Professional and Legal Aspects of Dental Assisting

The Sciences (4hrs)

• Anatomy and Physiology

• Dental Anatomy

Infection Control and Hazardous Materials (16hrs)

• Disease Transmission

• Infection Control and Management of Hazardous Materials

• Surface Disinfection and Treatment Room Preparation

• Instrument Processing

Dental Treatment (8hrs)

Clinical Dentistry (four-handed dentistry)

• Moisture Control (rubber dam)

Patient Care (4hrs)

• The Dental Patient

• The Dental Examination

• Medical Emergencies in the Dental Office

• Pain and Anxiety Control

Dental Radiography (38hrs)

• MDA Curriculum for X-ray Certification

• Radiation Safety and Production of X-rays

• Oral Radiography (digital and traditional)

Preventive Dentistry (4hrs)

• Preventive Care (DIAGNOdent, Spectra, Intraoral cameras)

• Coronal Polishing and Dental Sealants

Restorative Dentistry (12hrs)

• Instruments, Handpieces, and Accessories

• Restorative Materials

• Restorative Procedures

• Impression Materials and Laboratory Procedures

• Prosthodontics

Specialized Dentistry (16hrs)

• Periodontics

• Endodontics

• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

• Pediatrics

• Orthodontics

Preparation for Employment (4hrs)

• The Job Search

• Examination Preparation Practice Exam

Schedule

We purposely keep class sizes small to ensure a more consistent and personal educational experience. Therefore, depending on our enrollment size, we will adapt to schedule more courses than our usual three-time-a-year schedule.

Enrollment Dates

This 10-week schedule usually consists of classes starting in January, April, June, and September. We have open enrollment throughout the year.

Entrance Requirements

There are no official requirements for entrance into the school other than a high school degree and/or GED equivalent. No credit will be given for previous education or training.

Course Tuition

Tuition for 10-week course is: $3,695.00

• $200.00 due with application

• Remaining $3,495.00 due before 5th week of course

Tuition fee includes all of the following:

• Textbook: “Essentials of Dental Assisting,” Debbie S. Robinson, Doni L. Bird, 4th edition, 2007

• Use of all educational tools, visual aides, equipment, materials, and instrumentation

• MDA X-ray certification (if you pass the state exam)

• Careers in Dental Assisting diploma (if you pass the course exam)

• Letter of recommendation (if earned)