Course History

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Version Effective: 4th of March, 2021

HLT35015 - Certificate III in Dental Assisting

Course Details

Course Summary

Unlock your potential and start a rewarding career in dentistry as a Dental Assistant. This qualification is suitable for individuals looking to gain the skills and knowledge to confidently assist dental practitioners during a variety of dental procedures. You will support quality and professionalism in the dental sector, and develop a strong understanding of Infection Control and Workplace Health and Safety policies and procedures. In your role, you will assist with administration practice, dental radiography and sterilise dental equipment and devices.


Entry Requirements

Entry Requirements

Sound language, literacy and numeracy skills

With adherence to Infection Control guidelines and in line with the current edition of The Australian Immunisation Handbook, it is a requirement that all students have surface immunity to Hepatitis B Virus (HBV). Evidence must be provided in the form of a Vaccination Record with reported date of the 3 doses or age appropriate doses and a serology result indicating blood titre level result with an antibody level of 10IU/L or greater. We recommend contacting your GP to arrange a referral for a blood test/screening.

Work placement requirements:

Vocational placement is an important and vital factor in successfully completing this qualification. You must be working or volunteering in a dental practice in order to satisfy the assessment requirements for each of the units of competency within this qualification.

You are required to be working or volunteering in a dental facility for a minimum of 12 hours per week in order to gain the skills and knowledge as outlined in each of the units of competency.

For unit HLTDEN001 - Prepare for and assist during oral health care procedures, you are required to perform 300 hours of dental assisting work and have this recorded in your student logbook.

  • performed the activities outlined in the performance criteria of this unit during a minimum period of 50 hours of dental assisting work in a simulated environment using scenarios based on general and specialised dentistry including endodontics and oral surgery.
  • performed the activities outlined in the performance criteria of this unit during a minimum period of 250 hours of dental assisting work in a dental clinic workplace.


Vocational Placement and Work Integrated Learning

Students must complete a Vocational Placement and/or Work Integrated Learning as part of this qualification.

Additional information

To satisfy the assessment requirements in each of the units of competency the student is required to work or volunteer in a Dental facility prior to enrolment into the qualification. It is the responsibility of the student to secure the work/volunteer placement opportunity. The student should be on vocational placement for 12 hours per week to learn the skills and knowledge required to perform the tasks. 

For HLTDEN001 the student is required to maintain a logbook  to record 300 hours of dental assisting work performed in the workplace 

For HLTOHC003 and HLTOHC004 the student is required to maintain a log book for the simulated and workplace task performed as outlined in the Logbook template. 


Course Details

Course Type Qualification
Student Availability
  • Domestic
Fees For detailed information on Course Fees, visit www.cqu.edu.au/fees
Application Mode
  • Direct To University
How to Apply Please Enquire
Study Area
  • Health
Skill Area
  • Health
AQF Level Level 3: Certificate III

Admission Codes

Domestic Students
Tertiary Admission Centre Codes (TAC) Codes
Not Applicable
International Students
CRICOS Codes
Not Applicable

Student Outcomes, Career Opportunities and Occupations

Graduates will be eligible to apply for positions as a dental assistant within a variety of settings. This includes, private general dental practice, private specialist practice including (orthodontics, periodontics, prosthodontics, special needs and paediatric dentistry), as well as public school dental clinics, adult dental clinics, community health centres, prisons, indigenous dental services and residential care facilities.  Certificate IV is a natural progression from Certificate III and both contain many of the same units. Certificate IV also contains a radiography specialisation which is particularly useful to students in this field.

Course Structures

In order to complete this course, you must:

  1. Complete 9 core units
  2. Complete 2 elective units

Study Mode Definitions

  • Online: Online courses provide the flexibility to study without normally requiring a student to visit a campus. Course content is studied through a number of means including the use of online discussion forums, electronic library resources, by contacting lecturers and teachers, and receiving study materials online/electronically. Work integrated learning, including placements, may be included in some courses.
  • On-campus: Students studying in on-campus mode typically are expected to attend and participate in regular, structured on-campus teaching and learning activities throughout the University’s academic term. These activities may include lectures, tutorials, workshops and practice, online or other activities and normally will be timetabled at a CQUniversity campus or approved delivery site.
  • Mixed Mode: Students studying in mixed mode will participate in a combination of online learning activities in addition to site-specific learning activities, which may include residential schools, co-op placements and/or work-integrated learning as a compulsory requirement of a unit. The additional site-specific learning activities are what differentiates a mixed-mode unit from an online unit.

*All study modes may include Vocational placement and/or work integrated learning.

Select a course structure below to view the delivery details, including the different study modes offered for each structure.

Please select a course structure from the options below:
Standard Course Structure

1 year full-time

  • RPL/RCC/Credit
  • Online
Core


HLTINF001 Comply with infection prevention and control policies and procedures More Information Training.gov Details
HLTWHS001 Participate in workplace health and safety More Information Training.gov Details
HLTINF002 Process reusable medical devices and equipment More Information Training.gov Details
HLTDEN001 Prepare for and assist with oral health care procedures More Information Training.gov Details
HLTDEN002 Assist with dental radiography More Information Training.gov Details
HLTAID003 Provide first aid More Information Training.gov Details
HLTDEN003 Assist with administration in dental practice More Information Training.gov Details
CHCDIV001 Work with diverse people More Information Training.gov Details
CHCCOM005 Communicate and work in health or community services More Information Training.gov Details
Elective


HLTOHC003 Apply and manage use of basic oral health products More Information Training.gov Details
HLTOHC004 Provide or assist with oral hygiene More Information Training.gov Details

Unit Sequence

Below is the recommended study sequence for this course. Please enrol in your units as per the following order.
Units with the same sequence number should be enrolled into at the same time.
Sequence Unit
1 HLTINF001 - Comply with infection prevention and control policies and procedures
1 HLTWHS001 - Participate in workplace health and safety
2 HLTINF002 - Process reusable medical devices and equipment
2 HLTDEN001 - Prepare for and assist with oral health care procedures
3 HLTDEN002 - Assist with dental radiography
3 HLTAID003 - Provide first aid
4 HLTDEN003 - Assist with administration in dental practice
4 HLTOHC003 - Apply and manage use of basic oral health products
4 HLTOHC004 - Provide or assist with oral hygiene
5 CHCDIV001 - Work with diverse people
5 CHCCOM005 - Communicate and work in health or community services


Trainees (User Choice)

1 year full-time
  • RPL/RCC/Credit
  • Online
Core
HLTWHS001 Participate in workplace health and safety More Information Training.gov Details
HLTINF001 Comply with infection prevention and control policies and procedures More Information Training.gov Details
HLTINF002 Process reusable medical devices and equipment More Information Training.gov Details
HLTDEN001 Prepare for and assist with oral health care procedures More Information Training.gov Details
HLTDEN002 Assist with dental radiography More Information Training.gov Details
HLTAID003 Provide first aid More Information Training.gov Details
HLTDEN003 Assist with administration in dental practice More Information Training.gov Details
CHCDIV001 Work with diverse people More Information Training.gov Details
CHCCOM005 Communicate and work in health or community services More Information Training.gov Details
Elective
HLTOHC004 Provide or assist with oral hygiene More Information Training.gov Details
HLTOHC003 Apply and manage use of basic oral health products More Information Training.gov Details

Unit Sequence

Below is the recommended study sequence for this course. Please enrol in your units as per the following order.
Units with the same sequence number should be enrolled into at the same time.
Sequence Unit
1 HLTINF001 - Comply with infection prevention and control policies and procedures
2 HLTINF002 - Process reusable medical devices and equipment
2 HLTDEN001 - Prepare for and assist with oral health care procedures
3 HLTDEN002 - Assist with dental radiography
3 HLTAID003 - Provide first aid
4 HLTDEN003 - Assist with administration in dental practice
4 HLTOHC004 - Provide or assist with oral hygiene
4 HLTOHC003 - Apply and manage use of basic oral health products
5 CHCDIV001 - Work with diverse people
5 CHCCOM005 - Communicate and work in health or community services

The following units have no specific enrolment order and you should discuss the order of enrolment for these with your teacher.
Unit Code Unit Name
HLTWHS001 Participate in workplace health and safety

Course Assessment Information

RPL - Students who have previous informal and formal learning need to advise their trainer/assessor prior to enrolment. If the student wishes to apply for an RPL they need to apply to the RPL Centre.
Credit transfer - If credit for relevant formal qualifications is sought, then the process will be actioned after the student has enrolled in at least one unit of competency as directed by the relevant trainer/assessor. The Trainer/Assessor will work with the student on their credit transfer application, and provide advice and support as necessary.
Assessment Types
Written/Electronic Assessment
RPL
Practical Task
Third Party Verification
Course Learning Outcomes
Where and when can I start?
Please view the more details information for any additional information related to this course.

Domestic 2019 Availabilities

Standard Course Structure

Mixed Mode
Mixed Mode includes a combination of online learning activities and compulsory site-specific attendance at residential schools and/or workshops.
February: Full Time/Part Time
March: Full Time/Part Time
April: Full Time/Part Time
May: Full Time/Part Time
June: Full Time/Part Time
July: Full Time/Part Time
August: Full Time/Part Time
September: Full Time/Part Time
October: Full Time/Part Time
November: Full Time/Part Time

Trainees (User Choice)

There are currently no intakes scheduled for this course structure.

Domestic 2020 Availabilities

Standard Course Structure

Online
February: Full Time/Part Time
March: Full Time/Part Time
April: Full Time/Part Time
May: Full Time/Part Time
June: Full Time/Part Time
July: Full Time/Part Time
August: Full Time/Part Time
September: Full Time/Part Time
October: Full Time/Part Time
November: Full Time/Part Time

Trainees (User Choice)

There are currently no intakes scheduled for this course structure.

Domestic 2021 Availabilities

Standard Course Structure

Online
February: Full Time/Part Time
March: Full Time/Part Time
April: Full Time/Part Time
May: Full Time/Part Time
June: Full Time/Part Time
July: Full Time/Part Time
August: Full Time/Part Time
September: Full Time/Part Time
October: Full Time/Part Time

Trainees (User Choice)

There are currently no intakes scheduled for this course structure.
For individual class days and times for each intake please check the TAFE Timetable located here
The availabilities shown above are for the current and future years. To view any historic availabilities please press "Show Historic Availabilities" below:

Show Historic Availabilities
More Details

More Details

Additional Resources and Textbooks

All learner guides are hard-copy format only and will be mailed to students. 


PPE such as closed in shoes, Gown or scrubs, eyewear and a uniform are the responsibility of the student and/or their employer. 


Recommended non-mandatory reading available online and to borrow from the CQUniversity Library:  “Modern Dental Assisting” Edition 12, Bird, Doni L and Robinson, Debbie S.  


Practical Placement Information
Vocational placement is an important and vital factor in successfully completing this qualification. You must be working or volunteering in a dental practice in order to satisfy the assessment requirements for the units of competency within this qualification. This may include: private general dental practice, private specialist practices such as orthodontics, periodontics, prosthodontics, and public community / school oral health clinics.  

You are required to complete 300 hours work placement to develop competence in a workplace environment. It is also recommended that you put aside up to 12 hours a week for independent learning/study and to prepare for workplace assessment and online assessment.