Arizona Dental Assistant Schools
Dental Assistant Programs in Arizona
Within the field of healthcare, there are dozens of career paths you can pursue if you want to work in one of the fastest growing industries in the United States. As a support professional, you can work with licensed healthcare practitioners to save time, keep patients comfortable, and maximize productivity.
Dental assistants in Arizona run office operations, provide chairside assistance, get tools, and clean up after patients.
If you’re interested in getting Arizona dental assistant certification, get started by contacting Arizona dental assistant programs today.
Dental Assistant Schools in Arizona
In any healthcare career, training is a crucial part of your success. This is particularly true in dentistry. As an assistant, you must carefully navigate patients’ mouths, avoid causing pain and injury, and work within small spaces.
Arizona dental assistant training should offer you over 100 hours of chairside experience, helping you develop these skills before you get into the workforce.
Your coursework requirements depend on whether you plan on earning an Associate’s degree or a Certificate of Completion. While a Certificate of Completion includes about one year of coursework, an Associate’s degree takes most students approximately two years. Your training may include office management skills, laboratory procedures, coronal polishing, expanded duties, and patient education.
The courses listed below are commonly part of certificate and degree programs.
Dental Assisting Coursework
- Human Anatomy and Physiology
- Dental Radiography
- Dental Issues
- Dental Assisting
- General Clinical Practice
- Periodontal Clinical Practice
- Orthodontic Clinical Practice
- Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Clinical Practice
After you’ve been accepted to an Arizona dental assistant training program, you can start the financial aid process. The American Dental Association awards funding to dental students at many levels of education. Each year, they give out 10 dental assistant scholarships. You may also fill out the FAFSA to apply for federal aid and look into schoolwide scholarships.
Working as a Dental Assistant in Arizona
Upon completing your dental assistant training in Arizona, you may be ready to start applying for jobs. Arizona, like many states, does not require licensure or certification for dental assistants who do not perform expanded duties. For that reason, you may want to get references from instructors and supervisors who have observed your skills and your progress as a student.
From day to day, your work tasks may change. At times, dental assistants handle front desk operations and check in patients. They may process X-rays and other dental images. You may also spend a lot of your time working chairside. A lot depends on the specific needs of your employer.
This career path has a promising future. Currently, Arizona dental assistants earn an average salary of $37,500 per year (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2016).
If you want to work in an in-demand field that has room for upward growth, dental assisting is one of the first options you should consider.
Browse the list of the best dental schools in Arizona below and contact schools that interest you.
Arizona
Arizona College
Campus Locations in: Glendale: Allied Health, AZ / Mesa: Allied Health, AZ
Matching Programs: Dental Assistant – Diploma
Program Types Offered: Associate Degree, Diploma
Programmatic Accreditation: ABHES
Brightwood College
Campus Locations in: Phoenix, AZ
Matching Programs: Medical Assistant – Diploma
Program Types Offered: Diploma
Programmatic Accreditation: CAAHEP
Central Arizona College
Campus Locations in: Apache Junction, AZ
Matching Programs: Medical Assistant – Associate Degree
Program Types Offered: Associate Degree
Programmatic Accreditation: CAAHEP
Grand Canyon University – Online
Campus Locations in: Phoenix, AZ
Matching Programs: B.S. in Public Safety and Emergency Management
Program Types Offered: Associate Degree
Providence Training Institute
Campus Locations in: Phoenix, AZ
Matching Programs: Clincial Medical Assisting
Program Types Offered: Certificate
The Bryman School of Arizona
Campus Locations in: Phoenix – Black Canyon, AZ / Phoenix, AZ
Matching Programs: Medical Assistant – Associate of Science
Program Types Offered: Associate Degree, Certificate, Diploma
Programmatic Accreditation: ABHES