University of Technology, Jamaica
Excellence Through Knowledge

Duration: 1 Calendar Year

PROGRAMME DESCRIPTION

The focus of the Dental Assisting programme is to graduate professional dental assistants capable of supporting the oral health needs of Jamaicans through their role to support the effective and efficient delivery of oral health treatments and to provide preventive care based on guidance from other oral health professionals.
 
The programme prepares professional dental assistants with the knowledge, abilities and values to assist individuals and groups to achieve and maintain oral and general health. The programme is grounded in the foundation knowledge of the biomedical, social and behavioural sciences and related oral health disciplines.  Learners are assisted to acquire the abilities of an independent learner and critical thinker who is committed to meet the oral health needs of the public in a thoughtful and respectful manner.

The programme exists to respond to the oral health needs of Jamaican residents by providing learners with relevant, community-based and innovative experiences to develop their full scope of practice as dental assistants.

In cooperation with licensing and accrediting bodies, employers, community groups, other health professionals and the government, the program will integrate international standards for dental assisting education.  The program strives to offer flexible and responsive education that supports the educational and labour mobility of graduates.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Applicants must satisfy the following qualifications:  

1. Three passes at the CSEC General Proficiency Level with grades 1, 2 or Grade 3 (as of June  1998), or at GCE ‘O’ Level with grades at A, B or C which must include English Language,  Mathematics, Biology/Chemistry.  Interview required.
   
2. Candidates with other types of academic qualifications will be evaluated in accordance with the University’s regulations governing academic equivalence.
   
   
3. Persons seeking advanced placement will need to present appropriate documents in order to obtain exemptions. Entry through a Prior Learning Assessment route is available to persons with experience in the appropriate subject areas.
   
4. Successful completion of a written questionnaire focused on your knowledge of the dental assisting profession. It includes 5 broad questions that will provide you with an opportunity to convey your knowledge and understanding of the dental assisting profession; your written communication ability will also be assessed. This questionnaire will be administered at official test sites throughout the Caribbean.  

CAREER OPPORTUNITES

Graduates of the programme having passed the National Dental Assisting Certification Examination of Canada, should find employment as a registered dental assistant in the public and private sector within Jamaica and abroad. 

In future years graduates will have opportunities to take speciality modules related to oral surgery, prosthodontics, orthodontics, residential care and public health. These modules will then allow them to provide specialized services in a variety of settings. New practice contexts are continuing to emerge as the relation between oral and general health is being increasingly recognized.