Dental Assistant Academic InternAt — Star Kids Dental & Orthodontics

The Dental Assistant Academic Internship at Star Kids Dental & Orthodontics is a supervised, educational experience designed to provide the student with exposure to the clinical and administrative operations of a pediatric dental and orthodontic practice.
During the 100-hour internship, the student will observe and participate in appropriate supervised learning activities involving pediatric dentistry, orthodontics, dental assisting, infection control, dental materials, patient communication, dental radiography workflow, clinical documentation, and the overall delivery of dental care.
The primary purpose of the internship is education, professional development, career exploration, and the practical application of concepts learned through the student's academic program. The intern will work under the supervision of licensed dental professionals and experienced dental team members.
The intern will not independently diagnose patients, provide treatment, or perform duties outside the scope permitted by California law or the student's level of education, training, and authorization.

Tasks:

The student's internship activities may include:
• Observing pediatric dental examinations, preventive procedures, restorative procedures, emergency visits, and orthodontic procedures.
• Learning the names, purposes, organization, and handling of commonly used dental instruments and materials.
• Learning appropriate preparation and breakdown of dental operatories under supervision.
• Learning infection-control and sterilization protocols, including instrument processing and prevention of cross-contamination.
• Observing and learning chairside dental-assisting workflow and four-handed dentistry techniques.
• Observing appropriate communication and behavior-management techniques used with children and their parents.
• Learning the workflow associated with dental radiographs and digital dental imaging, subject to applicable California laws and limitations regarding who may expose radiographs.
• Learning how clinical records and dental charts are organized and maintained while following patient-confidentiality requirements.
• Observing pediatric restorative procedures and learning the instruments, materials, and steps associated with those procedures.
• Observing orthodontic procedures and learning basic orthodontic instruments, materials, terminology, and clinical workflow.
• Learning proper stocking, organization, and preparation of clinical supplies as part of understanding clinical workflow.
• Participating in educational discussions with dentists and clinical staff regarding procedures, patient management, infection control, dental materials, and career development.
• Developing professional workplace skills including communication, teamwork, punctuality, responsibility, patient privacy, and appropriate professional conduct.
All activities will be performed under appropriate supervision. The internship is educational in nature and is intended to complement the student's academic studies rather than replace regular employees.

Training:

The student will receive an initial orientation to the dental practice, including office policies, patient confidentiality, HIPAA, infection-control procedures, workplace safety, emergency procedures, and expectations for professional conduct.
Clinical training and mentorship will occur throughout the internship through direct observation, demonstration, explanation of procedures, and supervised educational activities.
The supervising dentist and/or designated experienced clinical team members will provide ongoing feedback regarding the student's progress, professionalism, communication skills, understanding of clinical procedures, and achievement of the internship learning outcomes.
The student will have regular opportunities to ask questions and discuss cases, procedures, dental materials, equipment, infection-control protocols, patient-management techniques, and career development. Progress and learning objectives will be reviewed regularly throughout the internship, with more formal feedback provided at least weekly.

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of the internship, the student will be able to:
1. Describe the workflow and responsibilities of the dental team within a pediatric dental and orthodontic practice.
2. Demonstrate an understanding of infection-control principles, sterilization protocols, personal protective equipment, operatory preparation, and prevention of cross-contamination in a clinical dental environment.
3. Identify commonly used dental instruments, materials, equipment, and supplies and explain their general purposes during pediatric dental and orthodontic procedures.
4. Explain the basic sequence and chairside-assisting considerations for common pediatric dental and orthodontic procedures.
5. Demonstrate appropriate professional communication with pediatric patients, parents, dentists, dental assistants, and other members of the dental team.
6. Develop an understanding of patient privacy, confidentiality, professionalism, informed consent, clinical documentation, and HIPAA-related responsibilities within a dental practice.
7. Observe how pediatric dental professionals modify communication and behavior-management techniques according to a child's age, development, anxiety level, and individual needs.
8. Gain an understanding of career opportunities, professional expectations, teamwork, and daily responsibilities within the dental profession.