The Dental Assisting College Certificate program provides students with the necessary training to perform the duties of a dental assistant, including assisting the dentist (chair side), providing patient education, performing laboratory procedures, exposing and processing x-rays and performing office management tasks such as billing and scheduling appointments. In addition, the dental assistant who becomes licensed can provide expanded functions as delegated by Michigan law. Instruction runs concurrently with the laboratory instruction throughout the program. Students gain clinical experience in clinical facilities and dental offices. Upon completion of the program, students are eligible to take the Dental Assisting National Board Examination to become a Certified Dental Assistant (CDA). In addition, they are eligible to take the State of Michigan’s Registered Dental Assistant Examination to become a licensed Registered Dental Assistant (RDA). The program in Dental Assisting is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation. The Commission is a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Commission on Recognition of PostSecondary Accreditation and the United States Department of Education. These Dental Assisting credit hours may be utilized towards an Associate Degree at WCCCD with additional coursework.