Academic Catalog

D A 85: RDA REVIEW

Foothill College Course Outline of Record

Foothill College Course Outline of Record
Heading Value
Effective Term: Fall 2026
Units: 2
Hours: 1 lecture, 3 laboratory per week (48 total per quarter)
Degree & Credit Status: Degree-Applicable Credit Course
Foothill GE: Non-GE
Transferable: CSU
Grade Type: Letter Grade Only
Repeatability: Not Repeatable

Student Learning Outcomes

  • Demonstrate the steps involved in the fabrication of temporary crowns, including material selection, manipulation, and finishing techniques. (75% or better)
  • Perform temporary cementation of crowns and remove excess cement effectively while maintaining patient comfort and safety.

Description

This course is designed to prepare students for the completion of the requirements for national certification and registered dental assisting (RDA) licensure in California. Chairside dental assisting procedures, including temporary crown fabrication, seating, temporary cementation and removal of excess cement, will be covered to prepare students for written and practical examinations. Intended for students in the Dental Assisting Program; enrollment is limited to students accepted in the program.

Course Objectives

The student will be able to:

Dental Assisting Theory and Practice

  1. Describe the current workforce issues impacting all aspects of dental assisting.
  2. Explain the requirements and the application process for becoming a Registered Dental Assistant in the state of California.
  3. Demonstrate competence in mixing, placing, and evaluating a zinc oxide eugenol Class II temporary restoration.
  4. Demonstrate the process of manipulating and cementing a temporary crown on a prepared typodont tooth.
  5. Achieve a passing score on a mock written and practical examination for dental assisting licensure.

Infection Control and Hazardous Waste Management

  1. Demonstrate the use of appropriate personal protective equipment for dental assisting licensure procedures.
  2. Perform dental assisting procedures in a manner to avoid cross contamination.

Ethical and Legal Principles

  1. Describe the allowable procedures and supervision levels for all categories of dental assistants.

Dental Assisting Program Competencies

  1. Apply dental assisting principles to provide safe and effective care to all patients across the lifespan.

Course Content

Dental Assisting Theory and Practice

  1. Current issues in dental assisting
    1. Workforce shortages
    2. Changes in scope of practice for dental assistants
      1. California
      2. Outside of California
    3. Regulatory bodies for dental assisting
      1. State legislatures
      2. Dental boards
      3. Department of Consumer Affairs/Dental Board of California
      4. Dental Assisting Council
  2. Licensure requirements
    1. Certified Dental Assistant (CDA)
      1. Review of task analysis
      2. Application process
      3. Testing criteria
    2. California licensure
      1. Unlicensed DA (dental assistant)
      2. RDA (Registered Dental Assistant)
      3. OA (orthodontic assistant)
      4. OSA (oral sedation assistant)
      5. RDAEFI (Registered Dental Assistant extended functions)
      6. RDAEFII (Registered Dental Assistant extended functions)
    3. California licensure requirements
      1. Task analysis
      2. Application process
      3. Written examination
      4. Law and Ethics examination
  3. Temporary restorations
    1. Class II zinc oxide and eugenol (ZOE)
    2. Manipulation of ZOE
    3. Placement
  4. Temporary crowns
    1. Custom non-acrylic temporaries
    2. Custom resin
    3. Stainless steel
    4. Polycarbonate
    5. Aluminum

Infection Control and Hazardous Waste Management

  1. Infection control and PPE guidelines

Ethical and Legal Principles

  1. Scope of practice for dental assistants in California
    1. Unlicensed DA vs. RDA
    2. General supervision duties
    3. Direct supervision duties
    4. Unprofessional conduct and scope of practice violations
    5. Ethical dilemmas

Lab Content

  1. Temporary crowns
    1. Stainless steel crowns
      1. Sizing, trimming, and contouring
      2. Cementation
      3. Removal of excess cement
    2. Polycarbonate crowns
      1. Armamentarium
      2. Fabrication and trimming
      3. Cementation
      4. Removal of excess cement
    3. Aluminum crowns
      1. Armamentarium
      2. Trimming and contouring
      3. Cementation
      4. Removal of excess cement
    4. Custom acrylic crowns
      1. Armamentarium
      2. Fabrication of splint
      3. Fabrication and trimming
      4. Cementation
      5. Removal of excess cement
    5. Custom resin crowns
      1. Armamentarium
      2. Fabrication of splint
      3. Fabrication and trimming
      4. Cementation
      5. Removal of excess cement
    6. Class II zinc oxide and eugenol temporary restoration
      1. Armamentarium
      2. Tofflemire retainer with matrix band and wedge
      3. Manipulation
      4. Placement

Special Facilities and/or Equipment

1. Personal protective equipment.
2. Typodont.
3. Laboratory with individual work stations.
4. Dental supplies and equipment items to allow for practice by students and demonstration by instructor.
5. When taught as a hybrid section, on-going access to computer with email software and hardware; email address.

Method(s) of Evaluation

Methods of Evaluation may include but are not limited to the following:

Mock written exam
Mock practical exam
Lab assignments
Lecture assignments

Method(s) of Instruction

Methods of Instruction may include but are not limited to the following:

Lecture
Discussion
Laboratory
Demonstration

Representative Text(s) and Other Materials

Bird, D.L., and D.S. Robinson. Modern Dental Assisting, 14th ed.. 2023.

Types and/or Examples of Required Reading, Writing, and Outside of Class Assignments

  1. Review all chapters in textbook as related to RDA written exam.
  2. Documentation of in treatment record of projects completed on typodonts.
  3. Complete RDA state application packet.

Discipline(s)

Dental Technology