Dental assistants play a key role in the dentist’s office, serving as a friendly face dedicated to making a patient feel comfortable, welcome, and safe. As a dental assistant, you’ll work with a variety of people and provide important preventative health care services. You’ll enjoy a flexible part-time or full-time schedule in an in-demand industry that can set the tone for a patient’s future approach to their health.
Dental Assisting educates students in all phases of dental assisting, including expanded functions and passing the National Board Exam for Certification. The program is designed to be completed in five quarters (summer through the following summer) by full-time students. The Dental Assisting Program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation. The Commission is a specialized accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education. The Commission on Dental Accreditation can be contacted at (312) 440-4653 or at 211 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611-2678. The Commission’s web address is: http://www.ada.org/en/coda
Career Opportunities
Graduates may be hired as expanded function assistants, preventive assistants, business assistants, or traditional assistants. Employment opportunities are high and well distributed throughout the state. Dental assistants directly assist with all aspects of patient treatment and perform certain procedures independently. They also organize instruments, set up and oversee sterilization and disinfecting procedures, inventory control, ordering of supplies, polishing teeth, applying fluoride, placing sealants, providing homecare instructions, taking X-rays, and fabricating and placing temporary restorations.
Program Costs
In addition to tuition & fees, other costs (approximate and subject to change) are:
Hepatitis B vaccination $250
Tuberculosis clearance $100
Malpractice insurance $17
Name tag $15
Printing $50
Basic Life Support (CPR) training $80
Textbooks and supplies $300
Lab fees $1000
National Board exam $524
Uniforms and shoes $300
Clinical uniform scrub fee $150
Uniform information will be provided during the mandatory orientation held before the start of program for those accepted into the program
Earning the Degree
An Associate in Applied Science Degree will be awarded upon successful completion of a minimum of 90 credits in courses numbered 100 or above. All core and general education distribution requirements must be met, with any additional credits to be selected as electives. Courses coded DENT must be taken in succession. All DENT courses and general education requirements must be completed with a grade of “C” or better to continue in and complete the program.
Accreditation
The Dental Assisting program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation and has been granted the accreditation status of “approval without reporting requirements”. The Commission is a specialized accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education. The Commission on Dental Accreditation can be contacted at (312) 440-4653 or at 211 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611-2678. The Commission’s web address is: http://www.ada.org/en/coda
South Puget Sound Community College believes that all students need to develop a broad range of abilities that will not only make them more effective in their professional pursuits but will enhance their capacity to relate well to others in their daily lives.
At the completion of the Dental Assisting Program, the successful student will be able to:
Effectively, independently, and efficiently perform supportive services that may be performed by registered dental assistants in Washington State
Maintain safe environments in the dental setting by following state and federal standards, professional and ethical standards, and using effective communication
Measure, record, interpret, and report data in both clinical and office settings
Engage in processes that support continual improvement
The SPSCC college-wide abilities are embedded into each program:
Effective Communication
Information Literacy
Analytical Reasoning
Multicultural Awareness
Social Responsibility
Application Procedure
Admission to the college: First, apply for admission to the college using a general application here: spscc.edu/apply. A new general application for admission to the college need not be submitted if you are a current student at South Puget Sound Community College.
SPSCC email account: Second, either activate or reactivate your student email address if it is not currently active.
Admission to the program: Third, apply for admission to the Dental Assisting Program using the special admission application here: spscc.edu/admissions/special/dental. The Dental Assisting Program will be accepting special admission applications beginning on the first business day in March. Those completed applications received by the last business day in April will be given priority consideration for admission. There is a required, non-refundable $25.00 application fee due at the time of application. The Dental Assisting Program application for special admission and fee are required for entry into the Dental Assisting Program even if you are already attending the college for other courses or programs.
Incomplete or late applications: Incomplete applications with prerequisites or high school diplomas scheduled to be completed after the first business day in April will be considered on a case-by-case basis once the prerequisites are successfully completed and/or high school diploma is received and if space is available in the program. Transcripts must be received by the date indicated within the application for the specified application year. Unofficial transcripts may be used for incomplete or late applications with the understanding that the official transcript will be received no later than the end of the first week in August.
Application ranking: Applicants will be ranked according to the number of required general education courses successfully completed with a grade of “C” or better and/or enrolled in. In the event of a tie, priority will be given based upon the date of application.
AAS Degree Requirements
Program Advising
It is recommended that students eligible for college-level English and math schedule an appointment with a dental program faculty advisor listed above. It is recommended that students still needing to complete pre-college English or math schedule an appointment with an Ed Planner listed above.
Program Requirements
Prospective students must have a high school diploma, its equivalent, or a postsecondary degree to be eligible for the program.
Prospective students may need to complete basic skills and/or pre-college English and math prior to being eligible for the program prerequisites. Proficiency may be demonstrated through placement testing or by receiving a placement test waiver based on previous college credits in English and math. Contact Enrollment Services at (360) 596-5241 for instructions on taking the Computerized Placement Test (CPT) or to request a test waiver.
The following program prerequisites must be successfully completed with a grade of “C” or better in order to be eligible for admission to the program: 63
MATH 101 Technical Mathematics I (or math from the General Education AAS requirements)
ENGL& 101 English Composition I (or ENGL& 102 Composition II)
MED 103 Medical Terminology I
The following program requirements must be successfully completed with a grade of “C” or better in order to be eligible for an AAS in Dental Assisting. It is recommended but not required that these requirements be completed prior to starting the core program:
Five credits of additional communication from the General Education AAS requirements
Five credits from the Human Relations General Education AAS requirements
Diversity requirement
Prospective students must attend the invitation-only Dental Assisting Orientation held on Advising Day during the spring quarter. Additional information about the orientation will be provided to applicants by the end of April.
Courses coded DENT must be taken in succession. All DENT courses must be completed with a grade of “C” or better to continue in and complete the program.
Readmissions
Readmissions of students is governed by policies in the Dental Assisting Policy and Procedural Manual, available from program faculty.
Additional Considerations
Health and Safety
Students registered in the Dental Assisting Program are required to have current and valid healthcare provider basic life support (BLS) certification (a BLS course is offered to students during fall quarter). Prior to starting in the fall, student will need to have started the Hepatitis B vaccination series, and to have received a recent Tuberculosis (TB) skin test (within 60 days prior to the start of fall quarter). Documentation for each of these requirements must be presented by the first day of class in fall quarter.
MATH&101 accepted for entry Fall 2023 and Fall 2024. Starting 2025 and beyond MATH&107 or MATH&146
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If student wants to transfer to a Dental HygieneProgramthen take ENGL& 235 (Pierce College) or ENGL& 102 (Clark College)
South Puget Sound Community College has provided pathways and associated recommended courses for ease of student selection based upon a student’s career interest. Please review the pathway maps for required and recommended courses.
