Certified Dental Assistant, Certificate

What to expect

Located at our Lansdowne campus, the CDA program is 10 months long, full-time. Classes are scheduled for 28 hours per week with homework commitments that vary per student but amounting to about three to four hours per day including weekends.

Our program is administrated with a philosophy of self-direction and you and your 35 classmates will be expected to treat your clinical learning environment as though it were your place of employment.

Successful completion of the National Dental Assisting Examination Board (NDAEB) examination is required to qualify for registration and licensure as a CDA in British Columbia. The NDAEB examination process is external to Camosun College.

Term 1

In the fall term, you'll relate theory to practice through learning head and neck anatomy, physiology, microbiology, pharmacology, radiology, nutrition, infection control, dental armamentarium and professionalism. Near the end of the term you'll participate in a one week dental office practicum.

Term 2

In the winter term you will continue to develop your theoretical knowledge and clinical skills from term one. You will also have the opportunity to apply your clinical skills outside the simulated clinical environment in community dental offices for two weeks in your second practicum.

Term 3

During the final 5 weeks of the program you will provide preventive care to children in the dental clinic for 2 weeks and participate in a 3 week practicum in a general dental office.