Dental Assistant
Program description
Become a valuable part of a dental office with MCTC’s accredited Dental Assistant Program. Whether you are new to the field, currently work in a dental office and want to become a Dental Assistant or you are a Dental Assistant seeking an expanded functions certificate, MCTC provides the training you need.
Program start and location
Students are accepted into the Dental Support Personnel certificate program each semester. PLEASE NOTE: Not all courses are offered each semester. Students are accepted into the Dental Assistant evening diploma program fall semester only. Students are accepted into the Expanded Functions Dental Assistant certificate program spring semester only.
Degree options and requirements
Dental Assistant Diploma—39 credits
Dental Office Support Personnel Certificate—17 credits
DA: Expanded Functions Certificate—16 credits
Click here for program and course information.
What you will learn
- The Dental Assistant program will increase your knowledge to work chairside with the dentist and his or her patients, perform a variety of patient cares, provide assistance within the business office and/or complete laboratory duties.
- Dental Assistant coursework includes basic and dental sciences, dental materials, chairside assisting, radiology, Minnesota expanded functions and clinical experience. The goal is to ensure you will be an indispensable member of a dental health team.
- The Dental Assistant program’s classroom, preclinical and clinical experiences will prepare you to take the Certification Examination offered by the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB) and the Licensure and Jurisprudence Examinations offered by the Minnesota Board of Dentistry.
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Points of pride
- Minnesota’s only evening program for individuals employed in a dental office who wish to become certified and/or licensed dental assistants.
- The program’s classroom, preclinical and clinical experiences prepare students to take the Certification Examination offered by the Dental Assisting National Board and the Registration Examination offered by the Minnesota Board of Dentistry.
- The Dental Office Support Personnel certificate is the only entry into the dental assistant career field—and the only program of its kind in Minnesota.
- The Dental Assistant program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association (ADA), and approved by the Minnesota State Board of Dentistry.
Where you could work
- Public and/or private dental offices
- Single- or multiple-provider dental clinics
- General or specialty dental offices
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Potential job titles
- Certified Dental Assistant
- Licensed Dental Assistant
- Dental Office Receptionist
- Dental Laboratory Technician
Occupational Outlook
Career opportunities for dental assistants have been considered excellent in recent years. According to the U.S. Government's Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in the field has been projected to grow steadily through 2018. Long-term prospects are solid, given such factors as the expanding and aging U.S. population, a heightened focus on preventative dental care, and increasing workloads for dentists (which will drive a need to hire assistants to perform routine tasks).
Beyond-the-classroom opportunities
Students regularly participate in Give Kids a Smile, a program coordinated and led by the Minnesota Dental Association in which volunteers provide free dental care to children from low-income families. Many also volunteer for Twin Cities-area charitable organizations such as Sharing and Caring Hands and the Union Gospel Mission.
Academy
This program is part of the Academy of Nursing, Counseling and Allied Healthcare. Click here for more information.
Articulation Agreements, Common Course Outlines and Gainful Employment Information
Please contact the program dean for information about articulation agreements.
Click here for Common Course Outline information.
Click here and here for Gainful Employment information.
Community College Grads Out-earn Bachelor's Degree Holders
Nearly 30% of Americans with associate's degrees now make more than those with bachelor's degrees, according to Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce. In fact, other recent research in several states shows that, on average, community college graduates right out of school make more than graduates of four-year universities.
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