Northwest Technical College Overview

Since the last accreditation visit by the American Dental Commission, Northwest Technical College has undergone some significant and transformative changes that position it for becoming a premiere technological college for the 21^st Century.   

The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board of Trustees, after a period of study and community conversations at all sites of the multiple campus Northwest Technical College, decided to restructure the college.   As a result, effective July 1, 2002, the MnSCU Board of Trustees named Dr. Jon Quistgaard, president of Bemidji State University, as president of Northwest Technical College’s Bemidji campus, and thus we began our exciting journey as an independent technical college in a unique alignment with a state university.

Anyone who visits the campus today and compares it with the campus as it was in 2002 will immediately see a myriad of physical changes to the campus--a new Health and Human and Protective Services wing, being the most obvious.   These physical changes merely reflect the essence of our evolved mission, vision and philosophy, which focuses on providing for all learners a learning experience that integrates the value of work with the educational experience to develop resourceful lifelong learners with knowledge, skills, and attitudes to secure rewarding careers and satisfying lives in an increasingly technologically focused, globally interdependent, multicultural society.   The many enhancements of our environment allows our learners to come to an aesthetic, inviting place that reflects the heritage of the region and that supports and appreciates our diverse learning community.  Upgraded learning facilities are designed to allow learners to develop not only their skills and knowledge, but also their appreciation for the multicultural civic and social roles and responsibilities inherent to educated citizens.  

Our unique relationship with Bemidji State University, our constant focus on providing a 21^st Century learning environment, our intentional choice to operate within a continuous improvement framework, and our planful efforts to optimize the learning experience for our learners sets NTC apart from its peers.   Our unprecendented enrollment growth—both on campus and online—and our high “marks” from our constituents as evidenced in satisfaction surveys and reflected in  increased community attention we’ve garnered in the past few years are all evidence of a college on the move—a college that is determined to reach its vision of becoming the premiere technical college in the region.

One of the college’s excellent programs is its Dental Assisting program, and that program is the focus of the remainder of this self-study.   As you read more about this outstanding program, you will see evidence of the effectiveness and dedication of NTC faculty, staff and administration to the success of our learners.   You will also note a commitment to quality and a dedication to improvement that is indemic in our college and is reflected clearly in the Dental Assisting program.   The faculty and administration of NTC appreciate the accreditation review process as one of the means by which we not only demonstrate our commitment to high standards, but also further our dedication to meeting and exceding the expectations of our constituents.

Dental Assisting Program Overview 

Northwest Technical College’s Dental Assisting program is a 43-credit program resulting in a Diploma of Occupational Proficiency.  

Description

The Northwest Technical College Dental Assisting program provides knowledge necessary for the dental assistant to assist in performing general clinical assisting and support functions, intraoral clinical procedures, business office procedures and laboratory tasks. The curriculum includes content in general studies; biomedical, dental, and clinical sciences; clinical practice; and additional intraoral clinical functions.  Graduates are eligible to write the Dental Assisting National Board Certification Exam and the Minnesota State Board of Dentistry Registration Exam.

Employment Opportunities

The demand for dental care will continue to grow. Due to the success of preventive dentistry in reducing the incidence of dental disease, the growing older population will retain their teeth longer, and will be even more aware of the importance of regular dental care. Dentists will need to employ more dental assistants than ever before to meet the increased demand for dental care. There are more than 200,000 active dental assistants in the U.S. today. According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook, published by the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics, careers requiring a specialized diploma are projected to add significant numbers of employment opportunities. Most areas of the country are currently reporting shortages of dental assistants. The majority of dental assistants are employed by general dentists. Additionally, dental specialists (e.g. orthodontists, oral / maxillofacial surgeons) employ dental assistants. The majority of graduates are employed as clinical assistants and many states require specialized credentials as an employment criteria. In addition to private practices, dental assistants may seek employment with public health / government clinics, military dental services, dental schools, allied dental education programs, retail / wholesale dental industry, insurance and consulting companies. Since many dentists employ two or three dental assistants, employment opportunities in this field are excellent. There is a great deal of stability and employment security for individuals that are interested in becoming a dental assistant.

Accreditation

The program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association, 211 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611-2678. The College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, (800) 621-7440, 30 North LaSalle Street, Suite 2400, Chicago, IL 60602-2504.

Information on Northwest Technical College is available at the College’s web site at http://www.ntcmn.edu and through the College’s Systems Portfolio at http://www.ntc.project.mnscu.edu.