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
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.
The COVID-19 vaccination is mandatory to be eligible to attend a WIL placement for this course. Students will be required to provide evidence of having completed a COVID-19 vaccination schedule by the closing date prior to a WIL placement. The vaccine received must be a vaccine approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) of Australia.
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 Type | Qualification |
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Student Availability |
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Fees | For detailed information on Course Fees, visit www.cqu.edu.au/fees |
Application Mode |
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How to Apply | Please Enquire |
Study Area |
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Skill Area |
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AQF Level | Level 3: Certificate III |
Domestic Students Tertiary Admission Centre Codes (TAC) Codes |
Not Applicable |
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International Students CRICOS Codes |
Not Applicable |
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.
Study Mode Definitions
*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.
1 year full-time
Core |
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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 |
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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 |
Sequence | Unit |
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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 |
Core | ||||
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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 |
Sequence | Unit |
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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 |
Unit Code | Unit Name |
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HLTWHS001 | Participate in workplace health and safety |
Assessment Types |
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Written/Electronic Assessment |
RPL |
Practical Task |
Third Party Verification |
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.