FAQs
What Is The Delivery Structure Of The Dental Assisting Distance Program?
The Dental Assisting Distance program at CBBC Career College is 51-weeks long; it is comprised of 13 Modules. Every component of this program is structured and consists of a mandatory two day per week (14 hours) at a dental practice and a minimum 18-hours per week required to be logged into a Learning Management System (Moodle), two (2) two-week clinics, and (1) one-week clinic to be completed at CBBC Career College’s Dental Clinic. Students will have mandatory video classes every week that will guide them, step-by-step, through the following week’s required materials such as assigned readings, discussions, videos, assignments, tests, etc. Students will start and finish one module before moving on to the next module. All modules are academic and have an online final exam.
Is CBBC Career College’s Dental Assisting Distance Program Accredited?
CBBC Career College’s on-site Dental Assisting program at its Sydney Campus has been accredited by the CDAC (Commission on Dental Accreditation of Canada) since 2008. CBBC Career College’s Dental Assisting Distance program is in the process of being accredited by CDAC with the goal of being accredited in 2021.
CBBC Career College’s first Dental Assisting Distance cohort must go through the CDAC accreditation process. The CDAC accreditation process for CBBC’s first distance cohort (June 1, 2021) consists of a CDAC accreditation team visiting the first class during the final two weeks of the 51-week program. CBBC will receive the results of the CDAC’s site visit in November 2022, which is six months later. In the meantime, students of this first distance program will be be required to write the National Dental Assisting Examining Board (NDAEB) written exam and may be required to take the NDAEB Clinical Practical Exam (CPE) before they will be eligible to practice as a dental assistant in Nova Scotia. If CBBC Career College receives its CDAC accreditation in November 2022, those students in CBBC Career College’s first Dental Assisting Distance program are considered to have graduated from a CDAC Accredited College.
If, however, CBBC Career College is not successful at getting the CDAC accreditation in November 2022, then students must take and pass an NDAEB Clinical Practice Evaluation to obtain a license to practice in Nova Scotia.
One final note. CBBC Career College’s distance program is identical to CBBC Career College’s on-site Dental Assisting program. The same textbooks, readings, discussions, assignments, tests, and exams are used in the on-site program as with the distance program.
Is There A Placement Included In The Dental Assisting Distance Program?
A mandatory prerequisite for this Dental Assisting Distance program is a signed agreement (included in the admission requirements section of CBBC Career College’s website) with a Dentist verifying a mandatory two day per week (14 hours) of clinical chairside dental assisting experience in a General Dentistry practice. This experience is considered a placement; it fulfills the mandatory placement requirement for the program. This two-day placement is the student’s responsibility to attain.
Do Students Take Exams After Each Course In The Dental Assisting Distance Program?
There are 13 academic modules in the Dental Assisting Distance program that require a final exam. The final exams are taken online.
The online final exam format consists of multiple-choice, true and false, and short answer questions. Each module’s final exam is worth 65 percent of the final grade for that module. At CBBC Career College, we attempt to format all assignments, tests, and final exams in a similar format to that which a student may encounter when taking the NDAEB Exam. Every module has a passing grade of 75 percent.
What Is The Time Fame For The Completion Of The Dental Assisting Distance Program?
The Dental Assisting Distance program is 51-weeks long. The 51-week program consists of a mandatory two days per week (14 hours) of placement at a practicing dental office, a mandatory three days per week (18 hours per week) of online Moodle where a student is logged in, and a five-week compulsory clinical skills training at CBBC Career College’s Dental Clinic. It is the student’s responsibility to arrange transportation and lodging during these 5 week of clinic.
Students are strongly encouraged to book these accommodations when they start the program to ensure they have secured accommodations.
What Are The Job Opportunities Available For A Registered Dental Assistant?
A Registered Dental Assistant works as an integral member of a dental team providing dental treatment both independently and as an assistant to the dentist. General dental and dental specialty practices are the leading employers of Dental Assistants. Opportunities, although limited, also exist in hospitals, with insurance, and dental sales companies, community dental health agencies, and in research and education.
Where Do Students Get Their Clinical Experience?
Clinical experience is broken down into two, two-week clinics and one one-week clinic. All practical clinics take place at CBBC Career College’s clinic.
Is There A National Board Examination That Must Be Taken Before Practicing As A Registered Dental Assistant?
All graduates of any Dental Assisting program in Canada are required to write the NDAEB’s (National Dental Assisting Examining Board) written board examination, except for Quebec. These written NDAEB Exams are scheduled quarterly in every province across Canada. Students graduating from non-accredited programs must also take the NDAEB’s Clinical Practice Evaluation. In Atlantic Canada, this exam is taken at Holland College in Prince Edward Island.
How Can I Secure My Two Days Per Week Mandatory Placement At A Dental Practice For The Dental Assisting Distance Program?
We suggest potential students start with their family dentist. If sponsorship is not available, your family dentist may have colleagues who are looking for a Chairside Dental Assistant. Another option is to look at the newspaper or online classified ads posted on your Provincial Dental Association website.
What Is The Difference Between The Full-Time Dental Assisting On-Site Program And The Dental Assisting Distance Program?
The on-site Registered Dental Assisting program (RDA) is a 39-week full-time program. The Dental Assisting Distance program is 51-weeks. In the distance program, students spend three days per week studying online through Moodle with instructor support for a minimum of six hours per day. The remaining two days per week are spent in a dental office (7 hours per day.) The distance program provides students exposure to the role of a Dental Assistant earlier than the on-site program.
What Is The Quickest Time That A Student Can Complete The Program?
The Dental Assisting Distance program is a 51-week program. Due to the interaction between students and their instructors, lab schedules, and clinical placement hours, it cannot be finished earlier or extended.
How Many Clinical Courses Are There?
There are three clinical courses in the Dental Assisting Distance program. There are two two-week clinics and one one-week clinic. All clinics happen at CBBC’s clinic.
How Many Hours Of Study Are Required Per Week?
In addition to the two mandatory days per week (14 hours) placement at a dental practice, students must commit to a minimum of 18-hours per week of online time. The hours are monitored and recorded remotely on the Moodle learning management system. These 18 hours include interaction with instructors via video, discussion, assignments, and tests. Also, all online students must travel to CBBC’s dental clinic for a total of 5 weeks.
How Are The Completed Assignments, Tests, And Final Exams Submitted?
All assignments and tests and final exams are completed online. All modules have the same evaluation breakdown. Tests are valued at 20 percent, and assignments are valued at 15 percent, and final exams are valued at 65 percent.
How Is Course Work For The Distance Program Delivered? How Do I Receive The Textbooks?
All distance students will receive textbooks and a CBBC Moodle account. There are 13 academic modules in the Dental Assisting Distance program. There is a master sheet for each module, and each module is broken into sections. It is these sections that outline the sequence for readings, videos, assignments, and tests. On Friday of every week, distance students are required to log into a video classroom with their instructor. It is these video classroom sessions where the instructor will review the work that was completed during the week and will preview what to expect for the following week. The student’s instructor will be available via telephone or Moodle format for the three days (18 hours in total) each week when the students are not at their dental office placement.
Do I Get A Computer From CBBC Career College When I Start This Online Program?
No, students do not receive a computer from CBBC Career College. Students must have their computer or laptop to complete this program. Also, it is the student’s responsibility to have high-speed Internet. If you do not have a computer or do not have access to high-speed Internet, unfortunately, you cannot enroll in this hybrid program.
What If I Fail A Module, Is There A Re-Write Policy Or A Supplemental Exam Policy?
A Dental Assisting Distance student is allowed one (1) module re-write supplemental exam. If the student is successful in passing the supplemental exam, a grade of 75 will be given for that module. The passing grade for all 11 academic modules is 75 percent. All final exams are worth 65 percent of each module.
When Are The Final Exams Scheduled?
After each online module is completed, the final exam will be scheduled the following week of the completion of the module.
What Our Graduates Are Saying
This program prepared me and gave me the confidence to enter the real business world. The close knit atmosphere CBBC has, made me very comfortable. Each and every staff member at CBBC was extraordinarily helpful on my journey in obtaining a full-time Administrative Assistant position in Cape Breton.
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Administrative Assistant / Offshore Technical Services Program
