Qualified Dental Assistant | Bismarck State College

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Qualified Dental Assistant

Start Your Dental Assisting Career

This self-paced, online program is designed for students in North Dakota and provides comprehensive dental assisting education aligned with the standards of the North Dakota Board of Dental Examiners (NDBDE).

Choose the option that fits you:

· Dentist Sponsored Pathway Already working in a dental office, or have a dental office willing to host you for your on-the-job training? The dentist-sponsored option is a great fit. Your sponsoring dental office will provide the clinical experience needed to complete your 300-hour chairside training requirement.

· Non-Dentist Sponsored Pathway Don't have a dental office lined up? No worries! The non-sponsored option is designed for students who need assistance securing a clinical site. BSC can help connect you with a dental office for your required on-the-job training experience. Placement is based on available opportunities and cannot be guaranteed in a specific office, location, or timeframe.

Program Requirements:

The program includes up to 144 hours of self-paced, online coursework and a 300-hour chairside training requirement established by the NDBDE. Coursework and chairside training may be completed concurrently, and all program requirements must be completed within one year of enrollment.

Upon successful completion of all program requirements, students will receive a certificate of completion documenting completion of a board-approved equivalent course. This certificate may be submitted to the NDBDE when applying for licensure as a Qualified Dental Assistant (QDA) in North Dakota.

 
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Frequently Asked Questions
Class Format
Online through Blackboard (144 hours) with an in-person externship (300 hours) with an affiliated dental office. 
Tuition
  • $1,250 if already working in a clinic
    • Requires employment and sponsorship by a dental office
  • $1,750 if not working in a clinic
    • Includes facilitating the placement of student for chairside hours acquired through a dental office
Textbook
Modern Dental Assisting, 14th Edition
Available for purchase through the BSC Bookstore.
Other Expenses
Additional expenses may vary based on externship clinic requirements. These may include:
  • Scrubs
  • Shoes
  • Lab jacket
    Please verify with your clinic before purchasing.
Program Requirements

Proof of immunizations and results must be provided ten (10) business days prior to the start of in-clinic chairside hours. Students must adhere to the policies of the facility where they are externing. These are not BSC requirements but requirements of the host clinic. Clinical affiliation policies should be obtained directly through the host facility and reviewed by students for full details and exemption allowances.

BSC cannot guarantee an exemption request will be granted. Exemption requests must be made in writing and are subject to review and approval by the host facility.

TB testing, seasonal flu and COVID-19 vaccinations are provided by Bismarck-Burleigh Public Health or the UND Center for Family Medicine.

Temporary or permanent conditions limiting the ability to perform the essential student requirements must be communicated to the program coordinator.

Evaluation Method

Most assignments and submissions in this course are graded on a Pass/Fail basis through blackboard. There are designated exams at the end of each course module (ICE, AMP, RHS) that require a competency-based grade. Each of these exams must be passed with a score of 80% or higher. Comprehension and mastery of this material are critical to student success and patient safety.

In addition to online coursework, students must complete 300 hours of clinical assisting and demonstrate competency in required skills.

WIOA -Approved
Yes
About the Instructor
Mikala Wegner

Email: mikala.m.wegner@bismarckstate.edu

Growing up on a ranch in southwestern North Dakota, Mikey developed a strong work ethic and a love for the outdoors. Her childhood dream of becoming a dental hygienist led her to attend NDSCS. Although the program's competitiveness initially steered her towards dental assisting, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. She discovered a passion for dental assisting during her summer externship at a large multi-doctor practice.

Over the past 20 years, Mikey has gained extensive hands-on experience in the clinic, honing skills in various procedures, patient communication, and leadership. Her commitment to the profession extends beyond the clinic. Since 2017, Mikey has served as a North Dakota Dental Assistants Association board member and was honored to receive an outstanding professional achievement award.

Mikey's dedication to promoting dental assisting as a career has led her to BSC, where she is excited to share her knowledge with the next generation of dental assistants. Mikey is a proud dog mom, big sister, and aunt outside of work. She enjoys summers on the river and camping with friends and family.

Resources for Dental Offices

Understanding the QDA Student
The QDA program is designed to provide students with foundational dental knowledge and theory. It is different from an RDA program in that it is not designed to fully prepare a student to function independently in a dental office from day one.
Students entering a dental office may be at different points in their QDA coursework. Some may be well into the curriculum, while others may be only partway through their online education. As a result, their level of knowledge, confidence, and readiness will vary.

Our program places significant emphasis on professionalism, communication, workplace expectations, and appropriate behavior in a dental setting. However, understanding an expectation academically is different from having had the opportunity to practice and consistently demonstrate that behavior in a real dental office. For some students, this may be their first experience working in a professional healthcare environment.

This is where the dental practice plays an essential role. Students still need hands-on training, coaching, feedback, and opportunities to develop workplace habits. They need to learn how your particular office operates, how your team communicates, how patient interactions are handled, and how to apply what they have learned in the classroom to real-world situations.

A helpful way to think about it is:
The QDA program provides the foundation. The dental practice provides the workplace experience.

A QDA student should not necessarily be viewed as a finished dental professional walking into the office fully trained. Instead, they are a student who has begun developing a foundation in dental terminology, concepts, theory, and professional expectations and is ready to continue developing those skills through supervised experience in the dental workplace.

In many ways, bringing a QDA student into your practice is similar to hiring someone who is new to dentistry and training them within your office — with the advantage that the student has already been introduced to the language, concepts, and foundational knowledge of dentistry.

The goal is not for the QDA program to replace the training that happens in a dental practice. The goal is to make that training easier by giving the student a foundation to build upon.

Additional QDA Pathways

Qualified Dental Assistant – Limited Radiology Registrant (QDA-LRR)

Start with Radiology 

This self-paced, online course is designed for individuals currently employed by a dental office who want to begin their dental assisting journey by completing the radiology-only portion of the full QDA program.

Upon successful completion, students are eligible to apply to the North Dakota Board of Dental Examiners for licensure as a Qualified Dental Assistant – Limited Radiology Registrant (QDA-LRR), allowing them to legally expose dental radiographs under supervision.
QDA-LRR Course Details

Course Covers:

  • Radiation Health and Safety (RHS)

  • Submission of diagnostic-quality radiographic images demonstrating competency

Format: Online (self-paced)

Tuition: $475

Prerequisites: Employment and sponsorship by a dental office

Students may stop at this point or continue on to complete full QDA licensure by enrolling in the QDA-LRR to QDA program.

QDA-LRR to QDA Program

Continue Your Training

This program is the next step for students who have successfully completed BSC’s QDA-LRR course and want to earn full QDA licensure in North Dakota.

Upon successful completion, students will receive a certificate of completion that meets the board-approved requirements for full QDA licensure.
QDA-LRR to QDA Course Details

Course Covers:

  • Infection Control (ICE)

  • Anatomy, Morphology and Physiology (AMP)

  • 300 hours of clinical assisting

Format: Online (self-paced) + in-person externship

Tuition: $775

Prerequisites:

  • Completion of BSC’s QDA-LRR course

  • Current employment with a sponsoring dental office