Course Content and Outcomes Guides (CCOG)

CCOG for DA 130 Winter 2025


Course Number:
DA 130
Course Title:
Dental Materials I
Credit Hours:
1
Lecture Hours:
10
Lecture/Lab Hours:
0
Lab Hours:
0

Course Description

Introduces dental materials and laboratory equipment used in the dental office. Covers the physical and chemical properties, manipulation, and uses of gypsum products, restorative materials, and impressions materials. Includes waxes, the etching and bonding process, acrylic dental polymers, dental liners, varnishes, desensitizers, bases, and an overview of crown and bridge preparation procedures. Prerequisites: Acceptance in the Dental Assisting program. Corequisites: DA 131.

Intended Outcomes for the course

Upon successful completion of the course students should be able to:

  1. Recognize the properties, applications, indications, and contraindications of dental materials used in general dentistry.

  2. Describe the role and duties of a dental assistant in the use, manipulation, application, and clean-up procedures for dental materials used in general dentistry.

Outcome Assessment Strategies

  • Complete textbook and classroom assignments

  • Demonstrate understanding though the completion of quizzes and a final examination

Course Content (Themes, Concepts, Issues and Skills)

Themes:

  • Dental Materials

  • Professionalism

  • Communication

Concepts:

  • Characteristics of oral environment

  • Classification and identification of dental restorative materials

  • Dental Material Science

  • Material properties, characteristics, and application

  • Bonding agents

  • Composite resins

  • Amalgam

  • Alginate

  • Gypsum

  • Elastomeric impression materials

  • Dental cements

  • Dental liners, desensitizers, varnishes, and bases

  • Crown and bridge procedures

  • Provisional crown fabrication

  • Safe handling of dental materials

Issues: 

  • Time management
  • Organization

Skills:

  • Recognize a variety of dental materials used past and present
  • List dental standards and organizations responsible for those standards
  • Explain the relationship between the oral environment and the types of materials used
  • List and explain the properties of dental materials
  • Discuss the general types of restorative materials used in dentistry and their specific applications
  • Describe the role and duties of the dental assistant in the use, manipulation, application and clean-up procedures required when placing amalgam restorations
  • Describe the role and duties of the dental assistant in safe handling of mercury, the principles of mercury hygiene, and the necessary steps required to safely clean up a mercury spill
  • Describe the role and duties of the dental assistant in the use, manipulation, application and clean-up procedures required when using dental cement
  • Describe the role and duties of the dental assistant in the use, manipulation and application of acid etch and bonding agents
  • Describe the role and duties of the dental assistant in the use, manipulations, application and clean-up procedures required when using resin cement
  • Describe the characteristics, handling and storage of alginate impression materials
  • Describe the characteristics, handling and storage of reversible hydrocolloid
  • Describe the characteristics, handling and storage of elastomeric impression materials and apply procedures to assist in their use
  • Describe the characteristics, handling and storage of acrylic dental polymers