• You would like to work in the healthcare sector as a Dental Assistant.
• You want to help people maintain good oral health and make people smile – literally! 

Then this is the course for you.

To make an informed choice about the suitability of this course, please consider the essential skills and knowledge below. You must:

• Have good attention to detail with accurate recording of these details.
• Show good-time management and the ability to prioritise tasks.
• Be confident, reliable and strong work ethics.
• Have good hand-eye coordination, manual dexterity and ability to hold your hand steady.
• Be able to work independently as well as part of a team in a busy environment.
• Demonstrate well-developed communication and listening skills.
• Have well-developed problem-solving skills and the ability to respond to immediate safety risks.
• Show ability to follow instructions and follow Work, Health and Safety procedures.
• Have ability to deal with body fluids (e.g., saliva, blood, pus from abscess).
• Have a sound level of fitness as this course requires for you to be on your feet for extended periods of time and has physical demands of manual tasks (e.g., loading and unloading metal trays of dental instruments and scrubbing dental instruments).
• Show tolerance, patience and the willingness to work with people from different backgrounds and cultures.
• Demonstrated ability to confidently navigate a computer to use software systems and online learning platforms.

This course reflects the role of workers who assist Dental Practitioners during oral healthcare procedures. The role includes maintaining high standards of infection control, assisting with practice administration, decontaminating and sterilising reusable medical devices, and supporting quality and professionalism in the dental sector.

Time Commitment

You will need to allocate appropriate time to complete this course. This includes undertake independent study outside of class hours, including private study, assessment preparation, research; and complete the mandatory work placement. Delivery of this course through South Regional TAFE is only at the Albany Campus.  The mode of delivery is all online.

You will need to complete:

• 350 hours of mandatory supervised work placement, in a suitable environment, that provides the services in this selected area of study. It is recommended that you are working in this industry prior to enrolling.
• Vaccinations, prior to placement, if requested by the workplace. This will incur an additional cost. To find out more about vaccinations click here.
• Working With Children Check (WWCC), prior to placement, if requested by the workplace. This will incur an additional cost. To find out more about a WWCC click here.
• National Police Clearance prior to work placement, if requested by the work place. This will incur an additional cost. To find out more about this clearance click here.
• Attendance at the work placement regularly and reliably.
• Travel to and from the suitable work environment to complete work placement.
• Work placement at times that may be outside of standard South Regional TAFE student hours.

Below are some of the important personal skills you will be required to develop and demonstrate during training. These skills are highly valued by industry:

• Respectful Communication - Interact with people from diverse backgrounds, share ideas effectively and build trust.
• Teamwork and Safety – Collaborate with others, show them respect, and be open to feedback. Participate in safe work practices.
• Problem Solving - There is always a solution. How do you respond to a challenge? If you spot a problem, we encourage you to ask questions, clarify as needed, and respond appropriately within your training.
• Initiative - Stay motivated, take proactive steps, and seek help when necessary.
• Planning - Manage time well. Knowing how to prioritise and completing your tasks efficiently are crucial for your success.
• Self-Management - Reflect on your performance. Reflection is a powerful tool for growth and success as a student at South Regional TAFE. Being a professional in the workplace can mean learning when to accept responsibility for your failures as often as your successes. This is how we learn!
• Learning – Recognise what your strengths already are. Then embrace all the new knowledge and experience from your South Regional TAFE journey to grow as a student. Some of the skills you will learn include:
  • Prepare for and clean up after procedures, including the preparation of materials used in these treatments.
  • Conduct infection control as well as decontamination and sterilisation of dental instruments.
  • Understand microbiology.
  • Produce a dental chart.
  • Fabricate dental models.
  • Assist the dentist during these procedures (e.g., pass instruments and operate suction apparatus).
  • Efficient administration of the practice including stock control.
  • Develop and mount X-rays and operate digital imaging equipment.
  • Acting as the first point of contact for patients at reception - take payment, schedule appointments, prepare clients for procedures, explain courses of prescribed treatments and update patient records.
• Technology - Adapt to new tools, access digital resources, and integrate technology into your learning.