Dental Assistant
Our Dental Assistant Program
Our accredited dental assistant program is perfect for you if you want to launch a new career by working in a dental office or clinic. Delta College provides hands-on training that can allow you to enter the workforce in as little as 7 ½ months. This program prepares students for employment as dental assistants in dental offices and clinics, orthodontic and pediatric dental offices, public health clinics and specialty dental clinics.
Graduation from our program provides you with the minimum requirements to sit for the National Registry Exam for Dental Assistants and for an advanced dental assistant course in expanded duties. Delta College offers job placement assistance for graduates.
Approximate Completion Time: 7.5 Months of Day Classes
With a growing demand for dental assistants nationwide, your skills will be in high demand, offering you job stability and career growth.
Enroll Today!
Take the first step toward a successful career in healthcare by enrolling in the Dental Assistant program at Delta College. Our admissions team is ready to answer any questions you may have and guide you through the enrollment process. Don’t wait—start your journey to becoming a Dental Assistant today!
Occupation Information
Gain a better understanding of your career path with information on what to expect in the industry. Explore these details to help guide your journey after Delta College.
Dental Assistants have many tasks, ranging from patient care to record keeping, in a dental office. Their duties vary by state and by the dentists’ offices where they work.
Duties: Dental Assistants typically do the following:
- Work with patients to make them comfortable in the dental chair and to prepare them for treatments and procedures.
- Sterilize dental instruments
- Prepare the work area for patient treatment by setting out instruments and materials.
- Help dentists by handing them instruments during procedures.
- Keep patients’ mouths dry by using suction hoses or other equipment
- Instruct patients in proper dental hygiene
- Process X-Rays and do lab tasks under direction of a dentist
- Keep records of dental treatments
- Schedule patient appointments
- Work with patients on billing and payment
Employment of dental assistants is expected to grow by 7 percent from 2022 to 2032, much faster than average for all occupations.
About 55,100 openings for dental assistants are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Information taken from the Occupational Outlook Handbook on the internet 8/19/2024
The median annual wage for dental assistants was $46,540 in May 2023. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount, and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $35,470, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $61,060.
*Information taken from the Occupational Outlook Handbook on the internet 9/15/2021
Consumer Information
Access essential consumer information to help you make informed decisions about your education, financial aid, and career path at Delta College.
- Registration Fee: $100
- Tuition through Graduation: $14,950
- Books and Supplies: included*
- Total Cost: $15,050
Find a Campus That's Right for You
Study to become a Dental Assistant at one of these Delta College campuses!
Real Student Success
See how Delta College has helped students take the next step in their careers. This video highlights real experiences and achievements, showing the difference our hands-on training and supportive community can make.