Dental Assisting

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Program Overview

Degrees & Certificates

Dental Assistant Certificate

Certificate programs provide students with a set of skills to find a job or stay current in a profession. Many certificates are designed to build on top of each other and eventually lead to a longer-term certificate or degree. These are called “stackable” certificates.
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  • Credits to complete: 60.0
  • Estimated program length in quarters: Full Time - 4 | Part Time - Part Time Option Not Available

About the Program

The four-quarter CODA-accredited Dental Assistant Certificate of Completion program prepares students for entry-level employment within the dental industry. You will learn about dental assisting through lecture, hands-on experience and clinical experience in the field. Our expert instructors and licensed dentists will demonstrate patient procedures, and you will learn chair-side in our state-of-the-art Dental Education Clinic in the new Health Education Center on Beacon Hill.

We offer opportunities for high school students to take dental assisting courses through our multiple pathways with Washington State’s Running Start Program and through the Seattle Skills Center. After graduating from high school, you can apply to and gain advanced standing in the CODA-accredited Dental Assisting Program.

After achieving your Dental Assisting Certificate, you have multiple pathways to earn advanced degrees, which include an Associate in Applied Science-Transfer (AAS-T) in Allied Health, which will then qualify you to apply to many of the Bachelor Degree Programs at Seattle Central College.

Being a graduate from our CODA-accredited Dental Assisting Program makes you eligible to apply to our Expanded Function Dental Auxiliary (EFDA) Certificate of Completion program, which will train you to complete fillings and take final impressions alongside dentists.

Career Opportunities

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics dental assisting jobs will grow 11 percent between 2020-2030. You will gain the knowledge and skills needed to work as a dental assistant, lab technician, sterilization technician, dental office receptionist or medical practice manager.

Gainful Employment

Learn more about this program's Gainful Employment information (pdf).

Accreditation

Learn more about this program's Accreditation information.

Program lengths are estimates, not guarantees. For the most current program information, please check with the program contact.