Course History

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Version Effective: 18th of October, 2022

HLT35021 - Certificate III in Dental Assisting

Course Details

Course Summary

This qualification reflects the role of workers who assist dental practitioners during oral health care procedures. The role includes maintaining high standards of infection control, assisting with practice administration and supporting quality and professionalism in the dental sector. The skills in this qualification must be applied in accordance with Commonwealth and State or Territory legislation, Australian standards and industry codes of practice.

To achieve this qualification, the candidate must have completed at least 350 hours of work as detailed in the Assessment Requirements of the units of competency.


Entry Requirements

There are no current Training Package entry requirements under this qualification, however, students should note the following important information on CQUniversity entry requirements for this course:

1. Students are required to complete the Basic Key Skills Builder (bksb) online literacy and numeracy assessment prior to enrolment unless they have completed an equal or higher-level course.

2. On the job requirements:

You must be an existing worker or a volunteer in a dental practice in order to satisfy the assessment requirements for each of the units of competency within this qualification. You are required to be working or volunteering in a dental facility for a minimum of 12 hours per week in order to gain the skills and knowledge as outlined in each of the units of competency.

Under unit HLTDEN015 - Prepare for and assist with dental procedures, you are required to perform 350 hours of dental assisting work and have this recorded in your student logbook.

- At least 300 hours in a real dental clinic workplace.

- Up to 50 hours in a simulated dental clinic workplace environment.

With adherence to Infection Control Guidelines and in line with the current edition of The Australian Immunisation Handbook, it is a requirement that all students have surface immunity to Hepatitis B Virus (HBV). Evidence must be provided in the form of a Vaccination Record with reported date of the 3 doses or age-appropriate doses and a serology result indicating blood titre level result with an antibody level of 10IU/L or greater. We recommend contacting your GP to arrange a referral for a blood test/screening.

COVID-19 vaccination for workers link to Queensland Government website



Vocational Placement and Work Integrated Learning

Students must complete a Vocational Placement and/or Work Integrated Learning as part of this qualification.

Additional information

Vocational placement is an important and vital factor in successfully completing this qualification. You must be an existing worker or a volunteer in a dental practice in order to satisfy the assessment requirements for each of the units of competency within this qualification. You are required to be working or volunteering in a dental facility for a minimum of 12 hours per week in order to gain the skills and knowledge as outlined in each of the units of competency.

Under HLTDEN015 - Prepare for and assist with dental procedures, you are required to perform 350 hours of dental assisting work and have this recorded in your student logbook.

  • at least 300 hours in a real dental clinic workplace
  • up to 50 hours in a simulated dental clinic workplace environment.
  • With adherence to infection control guidelines and in line with the current edition of The Australian Immunisation Handbook, it is a requirement that all students have surface immunity to Hepatitis B Virus (HBV).
  • Evidence must be provided in the form of a Vaccination Record with reported date of the 3 doses or age-appropriate doses and a serology result indicating blood titre level result with an antibody level of 10IU/L or greater. We recommend contacting your GP to arrange a referral for a blood test/screening.

COVID-19 vaccination for workers link to Queensland Government website


Course Details

Course Type Qualification
Student Availability
  • Domestic
Fees
Full Fee $5,368.00 (2024)
$5,544.00 (2025)
Subsidised Full Fee $1,705.00 (2024)
$1,749.00 (2025)
Subsidised Concession Fee $924.00 (2024)
$946.00 (2025)
Fee for service per unit $488.00 (2024)
$504.00 (2025)
Subsidised full fee per unit $155.00 (2024)
$159.00 (2025)
RPL Fee for service per Unit $244.00 (2024)
$378.00 (2025)
For detailed information on Course Fees, visit www.cqu.edu.au/fees
Application Mode
  • Direct To University
How to Apply Please Enquire or Apply Now
Study Area
  • Health
Skill Area
  • Health
AQF Level Level 3: Certificate III

Admission Codes

Domestic Students
Tertiary Admission Centre Codes (TAC) Codes
Not Applicable
International Students
CRICOS Codes
Not Applicable

Student Outcomes, Career Opportunities and Occupations

Students completing HLT35021 Certificate III in Dental Assisting can enter the workforce in the role of Dental Assistant.

Course Structures

In order to complete this course, you must:

  1. Complete 8 core units
  2. Complete 2 elective units

Study Mode Definitions

  • Online: Online courses provide the flexibility to study without normally requiring a student to visit a campus. Course content is studied through a number of means including the use of online discussion forums, electronic library resources, by contacting lecturers and teachers, and receiving study materials online/electronically. Work integrated learning, including placements, may be included in some courses.
  • On-campus: Students studying in on-campus mode typically are expected to attend and participate in regular, structured on-campus teaching and learning activities throughout the University’s academic term. These activities may include lectures, tutorials, workshops and practice, online or other activities and normally will be timetabled at a CQUniversity campus or approved delivery site.
  • Mixed Mode: Students studying in mixed mode will participate in a combination of online learning activities in addition to site-specific learning activities, which may include residential schools, co-op placements and/or work-integrated learning as a compulsory requirement of a unit. The additional site-specific learning activities are what differentiates a mixed-mode unit from an online unit.

*All study modes may include Vocational placement and/or work integrated learning.

Select a course structure below to view the delivery details, including the different study modes offered for each structure.

Standard Course Structure

1 year

  • Mixed Mode
Core
HLTWHS001 Participate in workplace health and safety More Information Training.gov Details
HLTINF001 Comply with infection prevention and control policies and procedures More Information Training.gov Details
HLTINF002 Process reusable medical devices and equipment More Information Training.gov Details
HLTDEN015 Prepare for and assist with dental procedures More Information Training.gov Details
HLTDEN016 Assist with dental radiography More Information Training.gov Details
HLTDEN017 Assist with administration in dental practice More Information Training.gov Details
CHCDIV001 Work with diverse people More Information Training.gov Details
CHCCOM005 Communicate and work in health or community services More Information Training.gov Details
Elective
HLTDEN028 Provide effective oral hygiene instruction to patients with an oral health treatment plan More Information Training.gov Details
HLTAID011 Provide First Aid More Information Training.gov Details

Unit Sequence

Below is the recommended study sequence for this course. Please enrol in your units as per the following order.
Units with the same sequence number should be enrolled into at the same time.
Sequence Unit
1 HLTWHS001 - Participate in workplace health and safety
1 HLTINF001 - Comply with infection prevention and control policies and procedures
2 HLTINF002 - Process reusable medical devices and equipment
2 HLTDEN015 - Prepare for and assist with dental procedures
3 HLTDEN016 - Assist with dental radiography
3 HLTDEN028 - Provide effective oral hygiene instruction to patients with an oral health treatment plan
4 HLTDEN017 - Assist with administration in dental practice
4 HLTAID011 - Provide First Aid
5 CHCDIV001 - Work with diverse people
5 CHCCOM005 - Communicate and work in health or community services


Course Assessment Information

RPL - Students who have previous informal and formal learning need to advise their trainer/assessor prior to enrolment. If the student wishes to apply for an RPL they need to apply to the RPL Centre.
Credit transfer - If credit for relevant formal qualifications is sought, then the process will be actioned after the student has enrolled in at least one unit of competency as directed by the relevant trainer/assessor. The Trainer/Assessor will work with the student on their credit transfer application, and provide advice and support as necessary.
Assessment Types
Written/Electronic Assessment
RPL
Practical Task
Third Party Verification
Course Learning Outcomes
Where and when can I start?
Please view the more details information for any additional information related to this course.

Domestic 2022 Availabilities

Standard Course Structure

Mixed Mode
Mixed Mode includes a combination of online learning activities and compulsory site-specific attendance at residential schools and/or workshops.
May: Full Time/Part Time
June: Full Time/Part Time
July: Full Time/Part Time
August: Full Time/Part Time
September: Full Time/Part Time
October: Full Time/Part Time
November: Full Time/Part Time

Domestic 2023 Availabilities

Standard Course Structure

Mixed Mode
Mixed Mode includes a combination of online learning activities and compulsory site-specific attendance at residential schools and/or workshops.
February: Full Time/Part Time
March: Full Time/Part Time
April: Full Time/Part Time
May: Full Time/Part Time
June: Full Time/Part Time
July: Full Time/Part Time
August: Full Time/Part Time
September: Full Time/Part Time
October: Full Time/Part Time
November: Full Time/Part Time

Domestic 2024 Availabilities

Standard Course Structure

Mixed Mode
Mixed Mode includes a combination of online learning activities and compulsory site-specific attendance at residential schools and/or workshops.
February: Full Time/Part Time
March: Full Time/Part Time
April: Full Time/Part Time
May: Full Time/Part Time
June: Full Time/Part Time
July: Full Time/Part Time
August: Full Time/Part Time
September: Full Time/Part Time
October: Full Time/Part Time
November: Full Time/Part Time
Online
July: Full Time/Part Time
August: Full Time/Part Time
September: Full Time/Part Time
October: Full Time/Part Time
November: Full Time/Part Time
For individual class days and times for each intake please check the TAFE Timetable located here
The availabilities shown above are for the current and future years. To view any historic availabilities please press "Show Historic Availabilities" below:

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More Details
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