Dental Assistant Training - Expanded Duties/Coronal Polishing
Like many dentists, you may be looking for ways to increase your practice’s efficiency, production and revenue. Achieving those goals may be within reach when you enroll your assistants in the GDA Expanded Duties courses.
According to an ADA survey, dentists who employ assistants with Expanded Duties in their practices report being able to use their time more efficiently and see more patients per day. A dental assistant can perform a variety of routine duties in the dental office and the Expanded Duties program is designed to ensure dental assistants abide by the requirements set by the Georgia Board of Dentistry.
To be eligible to attend the GDA Expanded Duties Program the dental assistant must meet one of the following criteria:
1) Possess current certification that the candidate is a Certified Dental Assistant.
2) Be a graduate of a one (1) year accredited dental assisting program or a dental assisting program approved by the Board.
3) Have been employed as a chair side assistant by a licensed dentist for a continuous six (6) month period within the previous three (3) years.
In Addition, the candidate must have a high school diploma, or the equivalent thereof and proof of current CPR certification. Space is limited. Courses are offered on a FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED basis. Registration closes when a course reaches capacity OR one month (30 days prior) to course date – whichever comes first. (This is to allow the assistant to become familiar with the course study guides and gather all required clinical materials.)
If you have questions regarding expanded duties, please contact Sheila Watson.
Expanded Duties Course Descriptions
Expanded Duties - Course 4 - Temporary Bridges
COURSE 4: CURRICULUM
A) Alginate Impressions for Denture Repair
B) Face Bow Registration
C) Tissue Management During Impression Making
D) Temporary Bridge
E) Fabrication of Bruxism Appliances
An assistant must also pass a written test on the subjects listed above.
To successfully complete the clinical portion of this course, each participant will complete the following procedure:
1) Temporary bridge - each participant will successfully fabricate a three-unit temporary bridge as per Temporary Bridge (found at the beginning of that section in the study guide)
COURSE 4 SUPPLIES
For the clinical portion the student will provide:
- THREE TEMPORIES that you have made in your office prior to the course, as well as the models on which the temporaries were made. At least one of the temporaries will be a three-unit bridge or larger.
For fabricating your temporary bridge you need to bring:
- Putty Impression material for making a matrix on the GDA model
- Acrylic (your choice- bring what you are familiar with) Burs, stones, separating disks that you prefer to use for trimming. Please no dull burs!
- High speed or slow speed handpiece and motor
- Articulating paper to check occlusion.
- Any materials, supplies, or instruments that you require for the successful completion of a temporary bridge.
Expanded Duties - Course 5 - In-Office Bleaching
COURSE 5: Armamenteria
A) Periodontal Dressing
B) In-Office Bleaching
C) Dentin Bonding
D) Desensitization
E) Liners and Bases
There is no clinical or portion of this class at this time. An assistant must pass a written test on the subjects listed.
COURSE 5 ARMAMENTERIA
To successfully complete this course and receive the certificate that allows you to legally perform these expanded functions in Georgia, you must pass the written test. There is no clinical or ; portion at this time. To pass the written test, you need to have reviewed all of the written material and discussed it with your doctor before attending the course. S/He signed an affidavit when registering you for your course(s) stating that s/he would help you in preparation for this course. Failure of this test will result in the applicant having to repeat the entire course at a later date with an additional fee.
Expanded Duties - Course 6 - Sealants & Fluoride
COURSE 6*: Curriculum
A) Monitor Nitrous Oxide
B) Fluoride Application
C) Sealants
D) Dry Socket Redressing
To successfully complete the clinical portion of this course, each assistant must successfully perform and receive a fluoride treatment with another person in the class, and place sealants on a minimum of three posterior teeth. An assistant must also pass a written test on the subjects listed above.
COURSE 6
To successfully complete the clinical portion of this course, each participant will complete the following procedures:
1) Perform and receive a fluoride treatment with a partner from the class. A tray fluoride treatment is four (4) minutes in length. Fluoride varnish is also acceptable.
2) Place sealants on a minimum of three posterior teeth.
COURSE 6 SUPPLIES
For the clinical portion the student will provide:
1) Any disposables that you need: patient napkins, cotton rolls, gauze, as well as patient napkin and any instruments you require to complete the task
2) Fluoride treatment & your choice of fluoride varnish
3) Sealant placement & three (3) molars with no fillings and little or no decay that are mounted in stone for ease in handling and placing of the sealants
4) Sealant material of your choice
5) Explorer to check sealant margins
Coronal Polishing
Course Overview
This program offers 8 hours of clinical and didactic education required by the Georgia Board of Dentistry for certification in coronal polishing for dental assistants. This course will include:
- Oral anatomy
- Tooth morphology
- Indications, contraindications, risks and complications for coronal polishing
- Ethics and jurisprudence relating to coronal polishing
- Indications for professionally applied topical fluoride agents for caries prevention
- Fluoride delivery methods
The laboratory and clinical activity will include:
- Training in using a slow-speed hand piece
- Principles of coronal polishing
- Operator & patient positioning/ergonomics
- Polishing coronal surfaces of teeth, preferred polishing technique, polishing agents
- Coronal polish on typodonts
- Coronal polish on partner and practical with disclosing solution
Objectives
- State the effect polishing has on the patient, oral environment, teeth, and gingival tissues
- Identify indications for polishing the teeth
- Understand the definition of plaque, types of stain, calculus, and related terminology Discuss contraindications for polishing the teeth
- Distinguish between abrasion, abrasive, and polishing
- Understand dental armamentarium - the equipment and instruments used in the delivery of dental care
- Identify abrasive polishing agents commonly used in coronal polishing
- Determine how particle size/shape, speed, and pressure affect abrasiveness
- Recognize different abrasive agents
- Demonstrate use of a slow speed hand piece and prophylaxis angle on a partner in clinic
- Define cumulative trauma disorders and explain how the dental assistant might prevent such injuries
Expanded Duties/Coronal Polishing Fee Structure
2025 GDA Expanded Duties and Coronal Polishing Skills Assessment Calendar - space is limited and spots are filled on a first-come first-served basis
- Saturday, June 7, 2025- Athens
- Saturday, July 12, 2025 - Fayetteville
Classroom Learning via Webinar
The classroom learning for each session is now available online via recorded webinar. Upon registration we will send you a link to the webinar. Watch the webinar then take the exam for each course. After passing the exam for each course, the registrant will then be eligible to register for an appointment to meet with an instructor to take the clinical applications for each course.
Clinical Applications
All registrants must meet with a GDA-approved clinical instructor in-person (not available virtually) and pass the clinical applications in order to receive a certificate of completion. Clinical courses will be available by appointment only. Should we have enough registrants from a specific practice or area we may be able to schedule a course at your location. Please contact Sheila Watson at 404-636-7553 or sheila@gadental.org for more information.
Steps to Earning Expanded Duties and Coronal Polishing Certification
1. Register online for virtual learning webinars. Once you have registered you will receive an email with links to the webinars purchased. See the log in instructions below.
2. View webinar (only registrants that have completed each webinar in its entirety will be eligible to take the exam)
3. Quiz - After completing the online exam, you will receive an email advising you of your exam results.
4. Schedule an appointment to meet in-person with a GDA-approved Expanded Duties instructor.
Only dental assistants that have passed each step will be eligible for a certificate for expanded duties or coronal polishing. Each certificate will allow a dental assistant to perform only those duties listed on each certificate.
Here is an example of the login screen below.
Please note: you will need to click “Non-dentist: Create a new account.”
Registration
Assistants may begin the process of enrolling in Expanded Duties training by printing the registration packet. Note: You cannot download any study guides or related course information until you register for courses.
