Dental assistants are always on the go and continually looking for ways to acquire new information and skills to keep up with the latest in oral health care. This is true not only for dental assistants working in a general dentistry setting but also for those working within in a specialty practice. In particular, members of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) reported a need for more training resources for dental team members who work with pediatric patients.
That’s why the DALE Foundation collaborated with AAPD to develop its latest online certificate program: Behavioral Guidance and Management for the Pediatric Dental Patient. Geared toward dental assistants, this dynamic course provides essential strategies, communication guidelines and protocols for working with children and special needs patients.
“Interacting with children and adolescents often requires a different approach as compared to assisting with adult patients. This course addresses those unique needs and also addresses the important role of the patient’s parent or guardian,” says Cindy Durley, M.Ed., MBA, executive director of DANB and the DALE Foundation. “We are thrilled to collaborate with AAPD on this much-needed and highly anticipated course.”
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This continuing education (CE) course was developed by experts in the field and offers practical strategies and techniques to ensure that young patients, along with their parents or guardians, feel comfortable during dental visits and procedures.
Completing this course in Behavioral Guidance and Management for the Pediatric Dental Patient can help boost your confidence and help patient visits run more smoothly; you’ll cover essential topics and learn how to:
• Understand age-specific mental, emotional and social developmental features of the pediatric dental patient
• Recognize the importance of flexibility and adaptability when working with pediatric and special needs patients
• Communicate and respond appropriately when faced with challenging behaviors in pediatric and special needs patients
• Apply commonly used behavior management techniques to virtual interactions with pediatric and special needs patients
The course also provides an opportunity to practice these techniques in virtual patient scenarios.
As with other courses from the DALE Foundation, Behavioral Guidance and Management for the Pediatric Dental Patient includes printable notes and valuable resources like AAPD guidelines and sample informed consent forms.
The DALE Foundation is an ADA CERP-Recognized Provider, and you’ll earn 4 CE credits upon successful completion of the course. To learn more about the new course or to view a demo video, visit dalefoundation.org or the DALE Foundation’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/dalefoundation.
About the DALE Foundation
The Dental Auxiliary Learning and Education Foundation (the DALE Foundation) provides online educational courses and resources to help advance the dental team. The DALE Foundation benefits the public by providing quality continuing education to dental professionals and conducting sound research to promote oral health. The Dental Assisting National Board, Inc. (DANB) founded the DALE Foundation in March 2010. As the official DANB affiliate, the DALE Foundation’s products adhere to the same quality and high standards as DANB. Excellence is important to the DALE Foundation, which is why all of the e-learning courses and study aids were created by educators and experts in the dental community.
