About Dental Assisting

Thinking about becoming an allied health professional in 10 months? Try dental assisting!

Dental Assisting program at ÃÈ·­µ¼º½ includes instruction in intra-oral dental functions and direct patient care/chair-side experience in dental schools, clinics and private offices and public dental care facilities in San Francisco and the Daly City/South San Francisco area. Students who have completed their training satisfactorily are qualified to take the state licensure examination to become Registered Dental Assistants and the national examination to become Certified Dental Assistants.

The trained dental assistant is expected to develop skills to assist the dentist with treatment procedures at chairside; produce diagnostic aids for interpretation by the dentist; provide oral health instructions for child, teenage, and adult patients; perform chairside support and laboratory procedures that are required for dental treatments; and perform treatment services where state legal provisions authorize the dentist to assign such tasks. Dental assistants are also expected to develop skills in basic business office procedures.

If you are thinking about a career in the health field, and you are comfortable working directly with people, consider dental assisting.

Explore Potential Careers

Training in the curriculum in Dental Assisting is designed to prepare students for employment as Registered and Certified Dental Assistants in private practice, specialty dentistry, hospitals, clinics and dental schools. Positions to which graduates may advance with experience and further training include those of:

  • Dental product sales representative
  • Insurance auditor
  • Manager
  • Supervisor
  • Educator
  • RDAEF

Program Options 

Click on the degree or certificate you're interested in earning to see a sample map of courses to take to complete your goal from start to finish. 

Please note that the course maps provided are just an example to help you get started. Please meet with a counselor to personalize the plan for you and your Academic goals. 

We encourage students to consider their financial and family/life obligations when choosing a pathway to ensure successful completion of the program. During the final semester, students will be in internships on days they are not in class so it would be difficult to work during the week. There are also select Saturdays for clinical exams during the final semester.

View Requirements in College Catalog

  • Student finishes all GE requirements before entering the 1-year program (full-time) or 2-year program (part-time, recommended for students who work or have family obligations). Students are qualified for the AS degree after completing the program and declaring dental assisting as a major. Students who complete the program with an AS degree can enter the workforce and take the board exams.
  • Student enters and completes the 1-year program (full-time) or 2-year program (part-time, recommended for students who work or have family obligations) and obtains a certificate then finishes GE requirements after the program. Students are qualified for the AS degree after completing the GEs after the program and declaring dental assisting as a major. Students who complete the program with a certificate can enter the workforce and take the board exams while they finish GE requirements for an AS degree.
  • Student enters the 2-year program and concurrently takes GE courses. Students who complete the program with an AS degree and declaring dental assisting as a major can enter the workforce and take the board exams. 

View Requirements in College Catalog

Student enters and completes 1-year program (full-time) or 2-year program (part-time, recommended for students who work or have family obligations). Students who complete the program with a certificate can enter the workforce and take the board exams. Students with a bachelor's degree may select to enter the full-time 1-year program or part-time 2-year program. Students who obtain the certificate achievement may pursue an AS degree later if they choose to.

View Requirements in College Catalog

Prerequisites 

Course Units Notes
*ENGL 88 or ESL 186 (waived if placed in ENGL 1A or ESL 188) 3  
*BIO 9 or BIO 106 or BIO 108 or BIO 112 3 - 4  
EMT 12 - BLS for Healthcare Providers 0.5  

*Waived if the student has a bachelor's degree

First Semester (Fall):

Course Number Course Title Units Notes
DENT 51 Applied Dental Science I 4  
DENT 52 Dental Materials and Procedures 3  
DENT 53 Introduction to Chairside Assisting 3  
DENT 55A Dental Roentgenography 2  
DENT 62 The Dental Assistant in Practice 3  

Total Units: 15 

Second Semester (Spring):

Course Number Course Title Units Notes
DENT 54 Applied Dental Science II 2  
DENT 55B Dental Roentgenography 2  
DENT 57 Dental Office Management 3  
DENT 67 Advanced Dental Procedures 4  
DENT 70 Clinical Chairside Assisting 7  
DENT 110A Coronal Polish 0.5  

Total Units: 18.5

View Requirements in College Catalog

Prerequisites 

Course Units Notes
*ENGL 88 or ESL 186 (waived if placed in ENGL 1A or ESL 188) 3  
*BIO 9 or BIO 106 or BIO 108 or BIO 112 3 - 4  
EMT 12 - BLS for Healthcare Providers 0.5  

*Waived if the student has a bachelor's degree

First Semester(Fall):

Course Number Course Title Units Notes
DENT 51 Applied Dental Science I 4  
DENT 55A Dental Roentgenography 2  
DENT 62 The Dental Assistant in Practice 3  

Total Units: 9 

Second Semester(Spring):

Course Number Course Title Units Notes
DENT 55B Dental Roentgenography 2  
DENT 57 Dental Office Management 3  

Total Units: 5

Third Semester(Fall):

Course Number Course Title Units Notes
DENT 52 Dental Materials and Procedures 3  
DENT 53 Introduction to Chairside Assisting 3  

Total Units: 6

Fourth Semester(Spring):

Course Number Course Title Units Notes
DENT 54 Applied Dental Science II 2  
DENT 67 Advanced Dental Procedures 4  
DENT 70 Clinical Chairside Assisting 7  
DENT 110A Coronal Polish 0.5  

Total Units: 13.5

Program Admission

The Dental Assisting Program has an admission process in addition to the ÃÈ·­µ¼º½ admission program. Please review all admission carefully prior to applying.

Dental Assisting Admission Process