Southeast Community College’s Dental Assisting program was granted the accreditation status of “approval without reporting requirements” by the Commission on Dental Accreditation.

The next site visit for the program, taught face-to-face on the Lincoln Campus, as well as online, is scheduled for 2017.

Sue Asher, program chair, said the Commission’s decision was the result of many hours of hard work and dedication by the program’s faculty and staff.

“Our program has been accredited since 1965,” said Asher, who joined the Dental Assisting faculty in May 1972. “An accredited program means students can sit for the national board exam.”

Dr. Jack Huck, SCC president, said, “I congratulate Sue and her Dental Assisting team for the outstanding results. Approval until 2017 without reporting requirements is a great accomplishment.”

The site visit occurred in November 2010. Program personnel spent about 18 months prior to that gathering data. Asher and Crystal Stuhr, online coordinator, wrote the self-study.

“We met every week and worked non-stop for four to five hours,” Asher said.

Asher said a member of the site visit team approached her at a meeting in Florida and commended her on SCC’s facilities.

“She came to me and said she’d never seen a program put together like ours,” Asher said. “Our equipment is outstanding. One reason the program has done so well is the administrative support it gets.”

Asher said the job outlook for dental assistants is bright through 2016.

“Salaries have gone up, and Nebraska is on the brink of change,” Asher said. “Representatives from each entity of the dental team have been meeting and discussing what is best for the safety of the patient in the state of Nebraska. Out of those meetings, we have discussed a tiered approach for the profession of dental assisting. Two of the three tiers would have mandatory licensure for dental assistants.”

There is a possibility of a bill to be introduced either in 2012 or 2013 in the Nebraska Legislature that would require two of the three tiers of the dental assistants working in Nebraska to be licensed, still allowing the lowest tier to work as an on-the-job trained assistant. Most states regulate the duties that dental assistants are allowed to perform. Some states require licensure or registration to perform expanded functions and/or to perform radiological procedures within a dentist’s office. One of the pathways to licensure will include attending an accredited dental assisting program and passing a state specific written and/or practical examination.

SCC’s program takes four quarters (one year) to complete, and students are awarded a diploma upon successful completion. Eighty-eight percent of the 33 students who graduated from the program in 2010 found work or continued their education.

Persons interested in the program should contact Asher at 402-437-2740 or Stuhr at 402-437-2738.