DEA: Dental Assistant

Browse Courses in the Course Catalog

The courses listed below are part of Hawkeye's course catalog. The course cost is subject to change, and the listing does not confirm that the course is currently available. To see currently available courses and sections, visit the course search.

If you plan to transfer courses back to your current college or university, make sure the courses you want to take at Hawkeye will transfer. To confirm, meet with your advisor at your current school or, if you're attending the University of Northern Iowa, University of Iowa, or Iowa State University, visit www.TransferinIowa.org.

Back to Subject Listing

DEA-103 Orientation to Dental Assisting

2 credits—This course introduces students to dentistry, certification, dental terminology, and legal and ethical aspects of dental practice. Concepts and procedures of preventive dentistry and oral health education are also included.

Lecture Hours: 32

Course Type: Technical

2025–2026 Course Cost: $468.00

DEA-258 Dental Anatomy

4 credits—This course presents oral and dental structures, head and neck anatomy, oral embryology and histology, and the relationship of oral and dental anatomy to dental procedures and treatment. Also included is a study of basic microbiology, disease transmission and the relationship of disease processes.

Lecture Hours: 48 Lab Hours: 32

Course Type: Technical

2025–2026 Course Cost: $936.00

DEA-262 Dental Sciences

1 credits—This course provides students with basic understanding of biomedical and dental sciences including: oral pathology and disease processes, pharmacology and therapeutics, emergency treatment, nutrition and dietary considerations for dental patients.

Lecture Hours: 16

Prerequisite(s): Minimum grade of C in DEA-103, or BIO-163, or both BIO-168 and BIO-173

Course Type: Technical

2025–2026 Course Cost: $234.00

DEA-302 Dental Radiography

3 credits—This course covers the principles, properties, techniques and protective procedures involved with exposure of dental radiographs. Primary emphasis is on the development of skill proficiency in techniques of intraoral and extraoral dental radiography.

Lecture Hours: 32 Lab Hours: 32

Course Type: Technical

2025–2026 Course Cost: $1,052.00

DEA-412 Dental Materials I

3 credits—This course provides information related to various dental materials, their composition, classification, manipulation, preparation and usage. Emphasis is given to materials commonly used in the practice of general dentistry.

Lecture Hours: 32 Lab Hours: 32

Course Type: Technical

2025–2026 Course Cost: $902.00

DEA-417 Dental Materials II

2 credits—This course is a study of restorative materials; specifically gold, porcelain, denture resin, and other metals and their usage in dentistry. Additional laboratory procedures commonly performed in dental offices are also included.

Lecture Hours: 16 Lab Hours: 32

Prerequisite(s): Minimum grade of C in DEA-412.

Course Type: Technical

2025–2026 Course Cost: $668.00

DEA-513 Chairside Assisting I

4 credits—This course is a study of basic operative and chairside assisting procedures; dental equipment, its function and maintenance; dental armamentarium, instrumentation, procedural tray setups, charting, development of clinical records, and patient screening procedures.

Lecture Hours: 32 Lab Hours: 64

Course Type: Technical

2025–2026 Course Cost: $1,561.00

DEA-514 Chairside Assisting II

2 credits—This course presents instruction in additional chairside assisting procedures including intraoral functions that are legally delegable to dental assistants in Iowa. All procedures are taught to the level of laboratory competence, and some procedures are taught to clinical competency levels.

A study of patient behavior and considerations for special patients is also included.

Lecture Hours: 16 Lab Hours: 32

Prerequisite(s): Minimum grade of C in DEA-513.

Course Type: Technical

2025–2026 Course Cost: $468.00

DEA-556 Assisting Clinic I

4 credits—This course provides students with selected clinical experiences in those basic chairside dental assisting procedures commonly performed in a general dental office. Facilities used will be primarily the school dental clinic and private dental offices. Students will assist dentists in accomplishing necessary dental procedures for patients while rotating through the clinical areas to obtain maximum clinical exposures and experiences. All clinical procedures are performed with supervision of participating dentists and instructors.

Clinic Hours: 192

Course Type: Technical

2025–2026 Course Cost: $1,826.00

DEA-578 Dental Assisting Clinic II

5 credits—Application of knowledge and skill as students rotate through dental offices. General and specialty practices are included in rotations.

Co-op Hours: 320

Course Type: Technical

2025–2026 Course Cost: $1,170.00

DEA-591 Dental Assisting Seminar

1 credits—Discussion and problem-solving from clinical practice. Provides an awareness of types of office situations and discussion of clinical aspects of dental assisting and dentistry. Oral reports and weekly evaluations are required.

Lecture Hours: 16

Prerequisite(s): Minimum grade of C in DEA-262, DEA-417, DEA-514, DEA-556, DEA-603, and DEA-701

Co-requisite(s): DEA-578

Course Type: Technical

2025–2026 Course Cost: $234.00

DEA-603 Dental Specialties

2 credits—This course provides students with knowledge and understanding of dental procedures in the specialties of Endodontics, Oral Surgery, Prosthodontics, Pediatric Dentistry, Orthodontics and Periodontics. Students are introduced to assisting responsibilities, instrumentation, and procedures of each of these specialties. Dental Public Health and Oral Pathology, as dental specialties, will also be included.

Lecture Hours: 16 Lab Hours: 32

Prerequisite(s): Minimum grade of C in DEA-513.

Course Type: Technical

2025–2026 Course Cost: $468.00

DEA-701 Dental Office Procedures

1 credits—This course is a study of basic responsibilities of dental office receptionists. Procedures included in the course are: management of patient records, filing, completion of insurance claim forms, basic bookkeeping, banking, appointment control, recall management, inventory control, credit and collection, and employer records management. Instruction is provided in computer applications relating to these office management procedures. Also included in this course is a study of office design and office management concepts.

Lecture Hours: 16

Prerequisite(s): Minimum grade of C in BIO-163 or both BIO-168 and BIO-173.

Course Type: Technical

2025–2026 Course Cost: $234.00