Miller-Motte College in Chattanooga has purchased a new piece of training technology for its dental program – a Panoramic X-Ray machine, or PAN – that is used during dental exams to capture an X-ray of the entire mouth in a single image. This technology is often used by dentists in their daily practice, making this a tool for dental assistant students so they can learn how to operate a PAN prior to entering the workforce and may not have to be trained on the job, helping make them more marketable to potential employers, said officials.
“We are thrilled for our students to now have access to a PAN machine as they progress through the Miller-Motte dental assisting program,” said Miller-Motte Executive Director Jay Frank. “Having a device like the PAN machine on our campus is a major benefit for our dental program as it helps ensure potential students and employers that our dental assisting program utilizes industry current technology and that our students are trained and prepared. This additional training helps give them an advantage when they graduate.”
The technology utilizes panoramic radiography, also called panoramic x-ray, in creating a two-dimensional dental x-ray that captures the entire mouth in a single image, including the teeth, upper and lower jaws, surrounding structures and tissues. This is an improvement over digital technology which requires 18 separate X-rays to capture the entire mouth.
The 15-month Dental Assisting program at Miller-Motte provides a hands-on learning experience for students so they are trained to work effectively as an integral member of a dental health team when they graduate. Students are taught how to function as an entry level dental assistant through an introduction to dental assisting, dental administrative procedures, dental infection control, dental radiography, dental sciences, operative dentistry, dental lab procedures, and dental specialties.
Now, as part of their dental radiography training at Miller-Motte, students will also have the opportunity to learn how to operate a PAN machine.
In addition to classroom coursework that includes training on machines like the PAN, each student is required to participate in an “Externship Experience” in a dental office and gain 330 hours experience through a dental practicum.
“Being able to take Panoramic X-rays when they come to the office for their externship is vital to their careers,” said JaDonna Truelove, an externship provider for the Miller-Motte program. “We can train them, but the in-depth learning on the PAN they receive at MIller-Motte adds an extra layer of experience that makes them more prepared.”
For more information about the dental assisting program at Miller-Motte, please visit: www.miller-motte.edu