The Best Online Dental Assistant Programs

Developed in partnership with Pearson Education, Oregon State University's school of professional and continuing education offers dozens of career training options, including a non-credit bearing dental assistant certificate online through the interactive learning management system, eCollege.

In the dental assisting program, students prepare for entry-level work in clinical chairside dental assisting. Topics covered include oral anatomy, dental operatory, tooth and oral cavity structure, and prevention of dental diseases. Although the majority of dental assisting students complete all course requirements in six months, students receive 12 months to complete their self-paced courses if necessary. Qualified students may complete an optional externship at a local dentist office. Graduates qualify to sit for Dental Assisting National Board exams on radiation health and safety and infection control.

To earn a dental assistant certificate online from the renowned school of dentistry at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, students must complete a total of 31 credit hours of instruction over the course of two full-time semesters. Distance learning students complete most of their courses online and participate in required clinical experiences at dental offices in their communities.

Required courses include preventative dentistry and nutrition, microbiology and asepsis technique, practice management and ethics, and dental therapeutics and medical emergencies. When combined, clinical experiences and classroom/laboratory work total more than 1,000 hours of instruction. Graduates qualify to take the Dental Assisting National Board Examination to become certified dental assistants. Earned credits also transfer to several IUPUI bachelor's programs.

In concert with Education to Go, the University of Georgia Center for Continuing Education offers a self-paced dental assistant certificate program online that students can start at any time throughout the year. Program tuition covers the cost of 150 hours of eLearning course content and all required textbooks and materials.

Admission to this open enrollment program requires no prerequisites, though students should possess proficiency in keyboarding and boast access to Microsoft software(an operating system not compatible with Apple Macintosh computers). Eight course sections cover business communication skills, records management, dental insurance processing, office equipment and inventory, and other essential, introductory knowledge for dental industry professionals. This 100% online program requires no on-site components. Graduates may pursue entry-level administrative and office management work at dental offices and clinics.

The administrative dental assistant certificate program, made available by Rutgers University-New Brunswick, prepares graduates to seek entry-level employment and fulfill all of the requirements of an administrative assistant in a dental office environment. Offered by the center for continuing studies in conjunction with Education to Go (ed2go), students receive an initial six months to complete the program at their own pace -- and can request an additional six months at no cost, if needed.

Upon completion of the program, students possess skills and abilities in interpersonal and business communication, patient recordkeeping and maintenance, dental terminology, insurance processing, bookkeeping and collection, and information management. Students also gain proficiency of DENTRIX® software. The cost of ed2go programs includes all course content, textbooks, and related materials. The school does not require on-site clinical experiences for this certificate.

In conjunction with Health Ed Today, North Carolina A&T State University offers a dental assistant certificate program ideal for busy individuals. The program includes all course materials and textbooks in the cost of tuition, and students receive six months to complete all components at their own pace.

As an open enrollment program, prospective students face no firm admission requirements, but the school encourages learners to either pursue or possess a high school diploma or GED. Through interactive learning modules and exercises, program students gain knowledge and skills in both clinical and administrative dental assisting, including introductions to the dental office, oral anatomy, dental equipment, and tooth structure. The school does not require clinical practice hours. Graduates may sit for the Dental Assisting National Board exams on radiation health and safety and infection control.

Southeast Community College consists of nearly a dozen campuses and learning centers located in Nebraska. SCC students can earn a dental assistant certificate online or on campus in as little 12 months of full-time study. Admission requirements include a minimum 2.5 GPA, completion of prerequisite courses, and submission of transcripts, a resume, and proof of CPR certification and health insurance.

A combination of clinical experiences (a total of 300 hours at a preapproved dentistry office or clinic), classroom, and laboratory instruction ensures that all program graduates qualify to take the Certified Dental Assistant Exam, ultimately leading to licensure. Students develop skills in dental health education, chairside assisting, laboratory procedures, radiology processing, management, and business office procedures.

Earning a short-term dental assistant certificate online from Sinclair Community College in Dayton, OH requires the completion of only 17 credit hours. Admission to this technical certificate requires departmental approval, a 2.0 minimum GPA, and completion of a course on distance learning. Successful program graduates can pursue licensure through the Ohio State Certified Dental Assisting examination.

This hybrid program requires travel to campus one or two days a week for attendance at on-campus lab components where students put their online learning into practice -- developing and demonstrating specific dental assisting techniques and skills. Students can complete other program elements online, including courses in interpersonal communication, introduction to dental terminology, dental assisting office management, and dental assisting radiography. SCC data shows that students generally complete the program in 32 weeks.

Aspiring dental professionals can choose from six dental assistant certificate programs online through the extended learning school at California State University-San Marcos. These non-credit bearing programs, available through a partnership with World Education, focus on professional development and preparation for certification and licensure examinations.

Students can complete the dental assistant program at CSUSM in as little as six months. Students complete courses in the history and legal aspects of dentistry, oral anatomy, dental equipment, and dental operation procedures. Additional program options allow students to pursue a family care specialization or participate in an externship at a local dentist office, if desired. Although programs are taken independently and self-paced, each student receives the support of a certified facilitator who can answer questions about, and ensure mastery of, course material, certifications, and the dental industry.

Monroe Community College, located in Rochester, NY, offers a rapid track dental assistant certificate program online exclusively for currently employed dental assistants seeking to gain professional licensure in New York State. The program combines online lectures and learning components with on-the-job clinical training under the sponsorship of a practicing dental professional.

Online courses cover subjects including chairside and speciality dental procedures, manipulation of dental materials, legal and ethical aspects of the industry, and relevant biomedical science. The program requires the completion of 15 credit hours and at least 500 on-site hours of clinical experience. Students can complete these required clinical hours in a private dental office, clinic, or hospital setting as long as a qualified dental professional provides sponsorship. Most students complete all curriculum and clinical requirements in 30 weeks.

Through a partnership with online education platform, Education to Go, Middlesex Community College offers an extensive selection of continuing education courses and training programs outside the classroom. These programs provide no college credit, but the open enrollment structure allows anyone to enhance their skills for personal or professional development reasons.

Among the 300+ programs and courses are two dental assistant certificate programs in clinical assisting and administrative assisting. These self-paced programs consist of 240 and 150 hours of content, respectively, and take approximately six months from start to finish. The clinical assistant track focuses heavily on anatomy and physiology, patient care, and chairside skills, while the administrative track focuses on the operations of a dental office, including book keeping and recordkeeping, insurance processes, and interpersonal communication. Both programs offer 100% online completion, requiring no on-site components.