Numerous accounts of dental assisting’s roots as a profession credit New Orleans dentist C. Edmund Kells with employing his wife in 1885. So helpful was her work that he soon hired the first full-time assistant, Malvina Cueria, a teenager, in his practice.
While it may seem unimportant today, two women working in a dental office was revolutionary in the late-19th century. Convention dictated that women didn’t receive dental treatments without spousal permission, but the presence of two women in Kells’ office offered comfort and security to many women in his community. Kells’ helpers were so popular, other dentists soon advertised that “ladies in attendance” were working in their practices for the safety of female patients.
Before long, dental assistant societies grew across the country. The American Dental Assistants Association, incorporated in 1925, continues to lead the profession. Although regulations vary by state, ADAA lists dental assistants’ responsibilities as including, but not limited to, assisting dentists during a variety of treatment procedures, taking and developing dental x-rays and providing patients with instructions for oral care following surgery or other dental procedures.
Among their many duties, dental assistants administer sealants – thin plastic coatings applied to the chewing surfaces of premolars and molars – under the supervision of a dentist. The sealants serve as protective barriers against bacteria that cause decay and cavities.
For the first time, Texas A&M University College of Dentistry will offer Applications of Pit and Fissure Sealants for Dental Assistants. The TSBDE-approved certification course includes two live, interactive webinars and one hands-on session. The first webinar is from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 11. The second webinar is from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 13. The hands-on session is 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 15, in the Administrative Education Building’s simulation lab of the dental college, 3302 Gaston Ave.
The course is offered to alleviate preventive care gaps, enhance the dental teamwork flow and improve access to dental care services – especially in underserved communities, said Dr. Raghad Obeidat, assistant clinical professor in public health sciences, who will present the course with Dr. Amal Noureldin, clinical professor and director of the predoctoral program in public health sciences.
Participants must complete the webinar sessions before attending the hands-on component. Registration is $350. For more information, go to https://reg.learningstream.com/reg/event_page.aspx?ek=0069-0031-2bf8baee4ca740669fc31bf3037c1e7c.
“This certification allows dental assistants to play a more active role in preventing cavities, the most common chronic disease among children,” Obeidat said. “By expanding their clinical competency through continuing education, we can bring preventive care to more families and reduce disparities in oral health access.”
The course is open to dental assistants with a minimum of two years of experience. Those who complete the course will earn eight hours of continuing education credit.
“We built this course to go beyond compliance,” Obeidat said. “It’s about confidence and clinical precision. Participants will leave with the skills to perform sealant applications effectively and safely, making them indispensable members of the preventive dental team.”
Being trained in the latest practice techniques can pay off for dental assistants. The median pay for dental assistants was $47,300 in 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. There were 381,900 dental assistant positions nationwide in 2024, and the number is projected to increase by 6% within the next decade.