Dental Assistant
DA 3000

Dental Assistant

Online Certification Training

Pursue a career in dental healthcare by gaining the knowledge and skills needed for Registered Dental Assistant (RDA) credentialing exam. Watch our program sneak peek below!

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14  Weeks
Program Length
RDA
Certification
$32,473
Avg. Starting Salary*
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Issuing Authority

This program is NOT available to residents of the following states: LA, MA, MT, ND, NV, NY, OK, PA, RI, WI

Watch our Dental Assistant Program Sneak Peek!

MedCerts programs are developed with collaboration from our in-house production team, industry-recognized subject matter experts and our education technology design team. From interactive simulations, interviews with real world experts, game based learning and more, our Instructional Design education model is created to meet the needs of every type of learner.

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Is Dental Assisting Right For You? Take The MedCerts Online Career Training Readiness Quiz

This fun, online quiz takes just 3 minutes to complete and provides you with a personalized report to find out if short-term online career training is right for you. The report identifies your strengths and social style, plus the training and positions you’re best suited for.

Dental Assistant Training Online

MedCerts Tuition Advantage

We believe everyone should have access to higher education. With the option to pay in full, break down payments or utilize government grant funding, we help expand that access.

Monthly Payment Options as low as $346 Payment Plans for Every Student

Talk with an Education Consultant to pick the perfect payment plan, from paying in full to installments with interest rates from 0-12%.

Total Tuition $4,000 Pay in Full

The total tuition can be paid immediately or through a number of grant-funded or monthly payment plan options.

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No Credit Check

Discover your eligibility without a credit check.

The pricing listed above for a monthly payment plan is an estimate for the cost of an 12-month payment plan including down payment. Final pricing is given at time of purchase and may vary from both pricing examples above.

*Students in Maryland are not eligible for MedCerts payment plans but may be eligible for other tuition options. Speak to an Education Consultant for further information.

MyCAA, Department of Defense Credentialing Assistance/COOL and Workforce Grants

MedCerts offers financial aid options through these government grant-funded programs – MyCAA, Workforce Funding (including WIOA), and Department of Defense Credentialing Assistance or COOL funding for the Army, Air Force and Coast Guard. Those eligible include Military Spouses; active duty Army, Reserves, and National Guard members; active duty Air Force, Air Force Reserve, Air Force National Guard, and US Space Force; active duty Coast Guard and SELRES members (enlisted and officers); or workforce-funded qualifying job seekers. Speak to an Education Consultant to see if you qualify.

What Does a Dental Assistant Do?

Dental Assistants are highly visible members of the dental practice team. They provide support to dentists and dental hygienists on a variety of tasks, including greeting and scheduling patients, obtaining preliminary vital signs and symptoms, performing diagnostic testing, creating laboratory molds, taking x-rays, and assisting the dentist through all visits and dental procedures. Aftercare instructions, as well as follow-up calls, are typically completed by the dental assistant in many practices. You may also perform a variety of lab tasks such as coronal polishing, sealant application, fluoride application, and topical anesthetic application.

120,346
Entry Level Jobs in the US
Dental Assistants will see available jobs grow 10.1% over the next ten years.
All available job and salary information is from Burning Glass Labor Insights and is updated annually to reflect industry changes.

What You’ll Learn
DA 3000
Dental Assistant

Dental Assisting is projected to be among the fastest-growing occupations in the United States through 2026. There is high demand for caring, knowledgeable, and professional individuals who want to make a difference in the lives of patients – while pursuing an exciting career in healthcare. This program prepares students to take on significant responsibility as a member of a dental healthcare team. Dental Assistants greatly increase the efficiency of the dentist in the delivery of quality, oral healthcare.

The MedCerts online Dental Assistant program prepares students to gain industry certifications and, ultimately, to work with patients in dental offices, community dental and health clinics, and hospital-based dental facilities. The MedCerts Dental Assistant program has been reviewed and approved by the AMT Board of Directors as an eligible program leading to RDA certification. Today’s dental assistants perform a variety of clinical and administrative duties, and the MedCerts program covers the wide range of skills and objectives needed to meet industry demands for skilled and well-rounded dental assistants. This program prepares students to assist dentists and dental hygienists by providing the essential clinical and administrative skills needed in the dental setting. The program covers subjects such as dental anatomy and morphology, infection control, radiation health safety and radiographic skills, patient education, soft skills, dental materials, and essential chairside functions.

Dental Assistant responsibilities include assisting with and providing direct patient care, sterilizing instruments, taking impressions, and performing office management tasks. Working under the direction of a Dentist, assistants may perform a variety of tasks such as coronal polishing, sealant application, fluoride application, and topical anesthetic application. The Dental Assistant program covers a comprehensive range of knowledge domains, topics, objectives, and tasks that a practicing Dental Assistant could perform. However, it is important to note that each state regulates the scope of practice for Dental Assistants within that specific state.

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  1. Gain knowledge and skills in preparation to pass the Registered Dental Assistant (RDA) certification exam
  2. Discuss tooth numbering systems, dental charting, and scheduling patients according to treatment plan
  3. Identify important head, neck, and oral anatomy related to patient care, including anomalies and radiographic landmarks
  4. Demonstrate essential dental assisting skills needed for patient preparation, measurement of vital signs, and four-handed dentistry, as well as the dental assistant’s role in medical emergencies
Dental Assistant Hero

Enrollment Requirements

  1. High School Diploma or GED
  2. Web browser with internet connection
  3. Course registration & payment

MedCerts-Covered Materials*

  1. Expert-led video based training
  2. eBook: Modern Dental Assisting (Saunders 13th Edition, Copyright 2021)
  3. Competency assessments
  4. National Certification exam fee

Student Services

  1. Dedicated Student Success Advisors
  2. Tailored support based on performance & behavior
  3. Exam preparation process
  4. 1 yr. post-program access to Career Center & Career Coaches

*The cost of all materials needed for this program are covered by MedCerts. They are not included in the tuition costs and the student is not liable for any costs or fees related to the above materials.

Required Courses
PS 1011

Professionalism in Allied Health

32 hours
Length
2 Weeks
Duration

This course will benefit anyone considering a career in allied health, as well as those already working in the field. Allied Health Professionals must be committed to the key attributes of professionalism and strive to reflect this within the delivery of patient-centered safe and effective care. “Professionalism” is a broad term that reflects many different skills and abilities. For an individual to exhibit professionalism, he/she must be armed with specific skills and abilities that do not always show up within certification requirements, or even within a career training curriculum. Soft skills are hard to measure and are typically less well-defined than hard skills. However, soft skills are what set many job candidates apart. Professionalism is not just what one knows, it is how one does their job, how one behaves and how one comes across as they interact with others.

The purpose of this course is to provide students with soft skills training that will provide the tools needed to demonstrate a higher level of professionalism on the job. Key components of the course focus on patient interaction, proper office behavior, medical ethics, diversity and cultural bias, emotional strength, professional appearance and communication. The course maintains a focus on the key attributes that are true markers of professionalism.

This course was created with input from healthcare professionals working in the field, healthcare employers that hire our graduates, professional educators and even former MedCerts students. The end result is a collection of modules that touch on the soft skills that are TRULY important in the real world of allied healthcare. In this course, students are engaged through scenario-based learning that allows for real interaction with virtual co-workers and patients. Additionally, game-based activities keep students engaged and entertained throughout their learning journey.

    • Gain an understanding of the expectations of an allied healthcare professional in the workplace
    • Develop and exercise emotional intelligence, self-management and interpersonal skills
    • Build and improve internal and external communication skills with all exchanges
    • Enhance the patient care experience with successful interactions and patient satisfaction
    • Maintain solution-oriented conversations, manage conflict and build self-confidence
DA 3011

Infection Control in Dental Healthcare Settings

48 hours
Length
3 Weeks
Duration

Infection Control in Dental Healthcare Settings is a comprehensive course detailing infection control practices performed by the dental team within the dental office. Video-based lessons classify infectious diseases, describe how to protect the patient and operator by using personal protective equipment (PPE), explain processes to maintain aseptic conditions to prevent cross contamination for procedures and services, summarize the steps to process reusable dental instruments, discuss maintenance and documentation of infection control and safety programs and policies, and explain how to document office programs/policies for infection control and safety. Emphasis is placed on recognizing important information on medical history to prevent adverse reactions during dental care, associating occupational safety and guidelines to dental workplace practices, and understanding how to perform proper hand hygiene before, during, and after oral surgery and intraoral procedures. Additionally, the course provides guidance on identifying how standards and workplace controls protect the patient and operator through the reduction of aerosol, droplets, and splatter, as well as how advisory, regulatory, and professional organizations are related to dentistry.

    • Classify infectious diseases and define relationships
    • Recognize the importance of medical history documentation and review
    • Demonstrate proper hand hygiene throughout all stages of treatment
    • Describe the use of personal protective equipment (PPE)
    • Identify occupational safety standards and workplace controls
    • Explain maintenance of aseptic conditions and prevention of cross contamination
    • Summarize dental instrument and device processing
    • Discuss infection control and safety programs, policies, and documentation
    • Identify advisory, regulatory, and professional organizations as related to dentistry
DA 3012

Dental Anatomy, Morphology, and Physiology

48 hours
Length
3 Weeks
Duration

Dental Anatomy, Morphology, and Physiology is a comprehensive course detailing essential anatomical, morphological, and physiological knowledge of the head, neck, and oral cavity for the dental assistant. Video-based lessons examine the anatomy and pathology of hard and soft tissues, review the circulatory and lymphatic systems, explore oral cavity anatomy, discuss salivary glands, identify permanent and primary tooth anatomy and morphology, and explain tooth numbering systems, including Universal and Palmer systems. Emphasis is placed on identifying the important head, neck, and oral landmarks, as well as discussing the muscular, skeletal, and nervous systems as they relate to the head, neck, and oral cavity. Additionally, the course provides guidance in categorizing dental occlusion and recognizing hard and soft tissue anomalies and tooth anomalies.

    • Examine hard and soft tissues
    • Review the circulatory and lymphatic systems
    • Identify important head, neck, and oral landmarks
    • Discover muscular, skeletal, and nervous systems
    • Explore oral cavity anatomy
    • Discuss salivary glands
    • Review sinuses in head anatomy
    • Categorize dental occlusion
    • Identify permanent and primary tooth anatomy and morphology
    • Explain tooth numbering systems
DA 3013

Dental Assisting Essentials

48 hours
Length
3 Weeks
Duration

Dental Assisting Essentials is a comprehensive course which instructs students in dental assisting knowledge and fundamental clinical skills necessary for becoming an essential member of the dental practice team. Video-based lessons identify important tools and techniques used in clinical chairside dental assisting, explain the purpose and use of dental materials, summarize dental specialties and some key procedures and basic instruments of each, discuss the dental assistant’s role in common medical emergencies, and list drugs commonly prescribed in both dentistry and medicine. Emphasis is placed on understanding dental ethics and law, as well as describing the various topics and opportunities for patient education and recognizing the role of professional communication, customer service, and teamwork in patient care.

    • Discover history of dentistry and the dental team
    • Gain basic understanding of dental ethics and law
    • Gather fundamental dental assisting skills
    • Identify clinical tools and techniques
    • Review basic dental materials
    • Summarize dental specialties
    • Discuss patient education
    • Describe the dental assistant’s role in medical emergencies
    • List common prescription drugs
    • Recognize the vital role of soft skills
DA 3014

Radiation Health and Safety in Dentistry

48 hours
Length
3 Weeks
Duration

Radiation Health and Safety in Dentistry iIs a comprehensive course which explains patient and operator preparation and safety during radiographic exposures and provides the knowledge necessary to identify best radiographic technique based on patients’ diagnostic needs. Video-based learning lessons classify radiographic equipment based on techniques such as digital and traditional radiography, describe how to acquire radiographic images using various techniques, identify current American Dental Association (ADA) guidelines for patient selection and limiting radiation exposure, identify operator safety measures when acquiring x-rays, describe methods for monitoring operator exposure to x-radiation, and explain infection control procedures for both conventional and digital radiography equipment. Emphasis is placed on demonstrating basic knowledge of both digital and conventional radiology, evaluating radiographic images for diagnostic quality, mounting radiographic images, and describing infection control procedures for both patient and operator safety. Additionally, the course provides guidance in applying quality assurance to all aspects of radiographic imaging and expressing understanding of radiology regulations, as well as applying the principles of radiation protection and hazards when operating radiographic equipment.

    • Explain patient preparation and patient management
    • Classify and describe radiographic equipment and imaging techniques
    • Demonstrate basic knowledge of digital and conventional radiology
    • Evaluate and mount radiographic images
    • Apply quality assurance and recognize radiology regulations
    • Identify American Dental Association radiography guidelines
    • Apply operator and patient radiation safety principles and address patient safety concerns
    • Explain infection control in radiographic practices
Code Course Duration
PS 1011 2 Weeks
DA 3011 3 Weeks
DA 3012 3 Weeks
DA 3013 3 Weeks
DA 3014 3 Weeks
Total Program Duration 14 Weeks

Dental Assistant

Job Opportunities

Entry Level

Dental Assistant

$19,000 – $45,000*
Estimated Salary
Career Potential

Dental Sales Representative

$22,000 – $72,000*
Estimated Salary
Career Potential

Laboratory Assistant

$26,000 – $49,000*
Estimated Salary
  1. This program is NOT available to residents of the following states: Louisiana, Massachusetts, Montana, North Dakota, Nevada, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Wisconsin
  2. Each State’s dental board implements rules and regulations for delegating legally allowable duties to dental assistants.
  3. While MedCerts training and related target certifications may be accepted and/or approved by your state of residency, employers reserve the right to dictate prerequisite education, experience, or certification/licensure requirements for their positions. We strongly advise students to research target job posts from area employers and relevant state requirements, barriers, or restrictions prior to enrollment to ensure eligibility upon graduation.

Dental Assistant