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Certificate in Dental Assisting

CAMPUSES South College Nashville Programs
SCHOLARSHIPS Tennessee PromiseYellow Ribbon

What You’ll Learn

South College’s Dental Assisting curriculum provides a strong foundation in Prevention and Nutrition, Basic Dental Sciences, Preclinical Dental Skills, Clinical Dental Procedures, Dental Radiography, Dental Specialties, Restorative and Laboratory Materials and Techniques, and Dental Practice Management.

Upon completion of the Dental Assisting program, students will be eligible to take the Dental Assisting National Board Examination, seek state certification in radiology, coronal polishing, nitrous oxide monitoring, and sealant application, increase the efficiency of the dentist in the delivery of oral health care, and become a valuable member of the dental care team.

Dental Assisting - South college

What can I do with a Certificate in Dental Assisting?

Dental Assistant Oral Surgery Assistant Orthodontic Assistant

19%* Estimated Job Growth

Keys to Success

In order to succeed as a Dental Assistant, you’ll need a detail-oriented mind and a knack for solving problems. You’ll encounter unique challenges for each patient and being prepared for these tasks with an open mind will help you succeed in your career.

Being a great communicator is of vital importance – you’ll need to take accurate patient histories, explain your treatments, and help patients understand their care routines.

In addition, having compassion for your patients is an extremely important part of being an effective Dental Assistant. As many as 75% of people have a fear of the dentist – you’ll have to be prepared to help these people through their visit.

Dental Assisting - South College

Continuing Education

Additional Information

Helpful Links

Accreditation or Approval

The program in Dental Assisting is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation and has been granted the accreditation statuses of “Initial Accreditation”. The Commission is a specialized accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education. The Commission on Dental Accreditation can be contacted at (312) 440-4653 or at 211 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL  60611-2678. The Commission’s web address is:  http://www.ada.org/en/coda.

Admission Requirements

Consumer Information

Amounts for tuition, fees, books, and supplies are subject to change. Important information about the educational debt, earnings, and completion rates of students who attended this program can be found here. South College follows the required methodology provided by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission for the reporting of employment information for graduates. This information is compiled on an annual basis and submitted to the Commission by October 15 each year for graduates during the most recently completed reporting year (July 1-June 30). For more detailed information related to the calculation of graduate employment rates, please click here.

*The career options listed above are a small sample of potential job titles, and are not meant to be comprehensive. Students may or may not find employment in these positions. Job growth statistics are taken from the Bureau of Labor Statistics 2016–2026 projections. Note that the Bureau does not publish estimates for all job titles, so in some cases these numbers are an approximation based on similar job titles.

Success at South College

South College Knoxville

I am a constant question person and their office hours are very flexible. If they are not here they make an effort to meet you. There is a very positive environment here.

- Jennifer Milam, Associate of Science in Physical Therapist Assistant
Stephanie Sienkiewicz, OTA program at South College

South College is providing me the opportunity to be a part of a wonderful program and receive the education and training I need to be a successful occupational therapy assistant.

- Stephanie Sienkiewicz, Occupational Therapy Assistant
South College Knoxville

It was not something I needed to learn to do, it was something I was supposed to do [becoming a nurse]. After 38 years it was just something that was kicking in.

- Charlie Lee, Bachelor of Science in Nursing
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