UPDATE
Introducing: Penn Foster’s Dental Assistant Career Diploma Program
While Ashworth College is no longer accepting enrollments in our Dental Office Assistant Career Diploma Program, we’re excited to introduce you to our partner school, Penn Foster.
Open the door to a career in the medical field with Penn Foster. In our online Dental Assistant Career Diploma Program, you’ll gain the need-to-know skills to work as a dental assistant. At the end of the program, you’ll be ready to sit for the Radiation Health and Safety (RHS) exam and the Infection Control Exam (ICE) from the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB).
LEARN MORETake the Next Steps Towards a Career You Want
Penn Foster’s online Dental Assistant Career Diploma Program can help you prepare to take the first steps toward the job you want. With flexible, online courses, you can learn skills and knowledge on your schedule, from home.
Why Penn Foster?
Penn Foster has been on a mission to help people like you launch, accelerate, and thrive in their careers for more than 125 years. We provide students with a quality education that fits your busy lifestyle and budget, offering over 100 self-paced, career-relevant programs across our College, Career School, and High School. The program you choose is structured to fit your learning needs so you can achieve your goals, and is designed to work with your schedule, anytime, anywhere you want to study. With a focus on relevant skills and career preparation for the job you’re after, Penn Foster can help you graduate with confidence and help provide a pathway towards your career goals.
From the technical to the interpersonal side, administrative skills will always be valuable.
Pursue a career in the medical field and improve the lives of patients by providing excellent dental office support.
Our Dental Office Assistant course fits into your existing schedule so you don’t have to delay pursuing your career.
What You'll Learn in Penn Foster’s Dental Assistant Career Diploma Program
- Best practices and procedures for preventing disease transmission in a dental office.
- Procedures used when assisting a dentist and/or dental hygienist.
- Front office responsibilities, including bookkeeping, record keeping, scheduling, billing, and more.
- The goals of preventative dentistry and the relationship between nutrition and dental caries.
Penn Foster’s Online Dental Assistant Program Online Curriculum
In the online dental assistant program, you'll study to gain foundational skills and knowledge needed to support dentists and dental hygienists in a dental office. Your courses include:
- Dental Terminology, Anatomy, and Charting
- Preventative Dentistry and Ethics
- Dental Medications and Materials
- Dental Specialties
- Dental Front Office
Dental Assistant Program FAQs
While salary can vary based on experience, the state you live in, and your employer, the average hourly pay for dental assistants in the workforce in 2023 was $22.38 per hour, or $46,540 per year.†
In a typical dental office, dental assistants are those who support dentists and dental hygienists. A dental assistant's daily tasks can vary and include both administrative work and patient support. On a regular day, dental assistants take a patient’s medical history, explain procedures, and assist dentists during procedures. As a dental assistant, you can also expect to be responsible for preparing treatment rooms, including sterilizing medical equipment and tools and preparing patients for x-rays.
Becoming a dental assistant often requires specific education and training. Depending on your state's regulations, you may also be required to pass a licensing or certification exam. Once you’re hired at an office, you may also complete a period of hands-on training under the supervision of an office manager or experienced dental assistant.
Many traditional dental assistant training programs can take up to one year to complete, but with Penn Foster’s self-paced online coursework, you can prepare to take the next step toward a career around your schedule and on the timeline that works for you. This course can help you prepare for industry certification exams, such as the National Entry Level Dental Assistant.
Certification requirements for dental assistants vary by state, you can find state-specific requirements via the Dental Assisting National Board website. Penn Foster’s Dental Assistant Program will prepare you to sit for the three exams needed for full NELDA (National Entry Level Dental Assistant) certification from DANB: the Radiation Health and Safety (RHS) exam, the Infection Control Exam (ICE), and the Anatomy, Morphology and Physiology (AMP) exam. Because our program is accredited by the DEAC, Penn Foster learners can sit for NELDA certification without needing 300 hours of dental assisting work experience.
State requirements
A career in this field may require you to meet certain licensing, training, and other requirements that can vary by vocation and state. You should check with your state, local government, and/or licensing board to find out which requirements may be applicable in your state. Click here for contact information on state licensing/regulatory boards and certain professional licensing information.