Finding the Right Dental Assisting Program for You
With Californians’ concentration on healthy living and looking fit and attractive, the dental profession thrives in California. In fact, California employs more dental assistants than any other state in the country. Because of this, the dental assistant salary is higher than the national average.
For aspiring dental assistants in California, there are a variety of schools throughout the state that provide training to become an unlicensed dental assistant, a registered dental assistant and a registered dental assistant with specialty permits in orthodontics and dental sedation. California’s dental schools are regulated by the state Department of Consumer Affairs’ Dental Board of California, as is the licensing of dental assistants.
Dental Assistant Schools from San Diego to Siskiyou County
Dozens of schools in California offer dental assisting courses as well as programs to prepare students for taking the state’s registered dental assistant exam. Of course, California’s largest cities, San Francisco, San Jose, Sacramento, Fresno, Los Angeles and San Diego have many schools with state-approved coursework, but smaller towns also boast several schools.
Many of California’s community colleges offer registered dental assistant programs, often in smaller communities such as Santa Maria on the Central Coast. Private schools are also scattered throughout the far reaches of the state, and offer a nice alternative to public colleges. Each dental assistant school in California truly offers abundant choices for prospective students.
Dental Assistant Program At Summit Career College in Colton Ca
The dental assistant training program at Summit Career College in Colton, Ca. provides students with the skills and knowledge that are needed to work directly with dentists. Summit College teaches their students how to work alongside the dentist, prepare patients for x-rays and examinations, and set up dental equipment and supplies. Students also learn how to perform administrative and front office tasks. The dental assistant job description includes both front and back office duties.
The dental assistant program at Summit Career College can be completed in as little as 36 weeks! Thy offer day, evening, and weekend classes. The dental assistant program is a total of 800 clock hours. 160 of those hours are clinical internship hours. Students learn valuable skills such as coronal polishing, typodonts, and use of an autoclave. Courses include nutrition, anatomy, and infection control.
Carrington College Dental Assistant Program
Carrington College offers many different allied health programs across several cities in California, Arizona, Nevada, and more. Their main campus and administrative offices are located in Sacramento. There are two different types of dental assisting training at Carrington College. One is a 36 week dental assistant certificate program, and the other is a two year associates degree program.
The 36 week dental assistant certification program has a total of 810 contact hours. The externship part of the program is 180 hours. During the externship, the student gets actual hands-on experience working in a dentist’s office. The student gets direct exposure to how front office and back office procedures work. The student will interact with patients, and work alongside the dentist.
The two year associate’s degree program at Carrington College is 100 weeks long, with an emphasis on science. Courses include Microbiology, Physiology, Anatomy, and General Education Courses. General Ed courses are English, Sociology, Psychology, History, and more. One of the benefits of attending a private college such as Carrington is that many General Education and science courses can be taken at a local California Community College, which will greatly reduce expenses to the student.