Expanded Functions for the Orthodontic Dental Assistant

Certification Course

This 15-hour course is approved for certification and training in Expanded Functions for dental auxiliaries in Florida and Georgia per Florida Statutes, Section 466.024(6) and Board of Dentistry Rule 64B5-16.005.

Enrollment Requirements

  • Be at least 18 years of age.
  • Successfully complete Expanded Functions for the Dental Assistant and earn Certification.
  • Have a minimum of three months of continuous, on-the-job chair-side training.
    • Volunteer and shadowing experience do not fulfill the three-month requirement.
  • Possess competency in reading, writing, and speaking the English language to participate effectively in the course.

Mandatory Coursework Once Enrolled

  • Complete the Verification Form with your supervising dentist at least two weeks prior to the course start date.

Participants may be dismissed from the course if they are found to lack the required dental experience or enrollment requirements.

The Continuing Dental Education Department and its Director reserve the right to grant, deny, withhold, or revoke certification when deemed necessary based on attendance, participation, performance, professionalism, or failure to meet program requirements.

Description

This comprehensive two-day course is designed to provide dental assistants with little to no orthodontic experience with the foundational knowledge and hands-on skills needed to confidently support an orthodontic practice. Through a combination of instruction and practical training, participants will gain experience with common orthodontic procedures, instruments, materials, and terminology while developing the skills necessary to effectively assist the orthodontist throughout the various phases of patient treatment.


Objectives

To provide training for certification in the following.

  • Orthodontic terminology and instruments
  • Orthodontic records and photography
  • Understanding different phases of orthodontic treatment
  • Placing banding and bracketing
  • Selecting and pre-sizing orthodontic bands
  • Selecting and pre-sizing archwires
  • Securing or unsecuring an archwire
  • Selecting prescribed extra-oral appliances
  • Removing and recementing properly contoured and fitting loose bands
  • Making impressions for study casts
  • Placing or removing prescribed pre-treatment separators

All necessary supplies and instruments will be provided.

Dress Code

Participants must wear either:

  • Scrubs with closed-toe shoes, or
  • A long-sleeved shirt, long pants, and closed-toe shoes

Instructors

Calogero Dolce

Department:

DN-ORTHODONTICS GENERAL

Calogero Dolce DDS, PhD

Professor & Chair, Orthodontics

Amber Williamson

Department:

DN-ORTHODONTICS ADMIN

Amber Williamson

Orthodontic Treatment Coordinator/Dental Assistant Supervisor

“We declare that neither of us nor any member of our family has a financial arrangement or affiliation with any corporate organization offering financial support or grant monies for this continuing dental education program greater than $999, nor do we have a financial interest greater than $1,000 in any commercial product(s) we will discuss in the presentation.”


Registration Information

Mandatory coursework must be completed two weeks before the start of class

Date

May 22-23, 2027

Saturday: 8:00AM – 4:30PM
Sunday: 8:00AM – 4:30PM
Networking Lunch Provided

Audience: EFDA Certified Dental Assistants

Information

Tuition: $799
Participant Limit: 14
Credit Hours: 15 CEU Participation

Certification Requirements

To earn certification, participants must score 75% or higher on the written Certification Exam and receive a Satisfactory rating on all required hands-on and/or clinical skills assessments. Participants who do not meet these requirements may be eligible for remediation in accordance with the Continuing Dental Education Certification & Remediation Policy.


Logo for ADA CERP with "ADA" in green, "CERP" in black, and "Continuing Education Recognition Program" in smaller black text below, conveying professionalism.

University of Florida is an ADA CERP Recognized Provider.
ADA CERP is a service of the American Dental Association to assist dental professionals in identifying quality providers of continuing dental education. ADA CERP does not approve or endorse individual courses or instructors, nor does it imply acceptance of credit hours by boards of dentistry.
Concerns or complaints about a CE provider may be directed to the provider or to the Commission for Continuing Education Provider Recognition at CCEPR.ADA.org

Participants should be cautioned about the potential risks of using limited knowledge when integrating new techniques