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Dental Assisting Degrees:
Reaching Your Dental Assistant Career Goals

Get the right degree for your dental assistant career.

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Degree Options for Dental Assistant Career Training


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Choosing a dental assisting program is a very personal choice. For many prospective students, the choice involves a complex balance between wants and needs. Will you need to work to support your family while you attend school part-time, or are you a recent high school graduate who is ready to embark on the life of a full-time student? Are you willing to relocate to attend dental assistant school? How quickly do you want to enter the workforce?

These are just a few of the questions you'll have to answer as you begin training for a dental assistant career. Fortunately, there are a variety of paths to becoming a dental assistant, so you'll be able to find one that suits your schedule and financial situation.

Dental Assisting Certificate or Diploma

Certificate and diploma programs generally prepare you to start your dental assistant career after about nine to 11 months of study. You'll find these programs at career colleges and community colleges. If you want to enter the job field quickly, career college programs often have a faster time to completion.

Associate's Degree

Associate's degree programs in dental assisting last two years and provide other general education curriculum. Both career colleges and community colleges offer associate's degree programs. If you're planning on advancing your education later in your career, the credits you earn while in your associate's program will count toward earning a bachelor's or master's degree.

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What You'll Study

Dental assistants need to know everything from office administration to chairside assisting. A good school will give you all the necessary skills you will need to begin your dental assistant career. You can also find programs that will provide you some practical experience before entering the workforce. Some typical courses you'd find in most dental assistant schools are:

  • Dental Laboratory Procedures
  • Dental Radiology
  • Dental Science
  • Dental Office Management
  • Dental Assisting Applications
  • Emergency Management in the Dental Office
  • Chairside Assisting

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Spotlight Schools

Apollo College

Apollo College provides practical, real-world education. Our dental assistant programs prepare you for entry-level employment with curriculum in dental assisting theory, laboratory instruction and clinical experience.


Sanford-Brown College

Sanford-Brown Institute's dental assistant program is designed to provide students with the necessary skills to assist the dentist with total management of their office.


Sanford-Brown Institute

Sanford-Brown Institute's dental assistant program is designed to provide students with the necessary skills to assist the dentist with total management of their office.