Dental Assistant Program

The dental assistant program at South Puget Sound Community College prepares students for a career in a dental office, dental supply manufacturer, hospital dental department, or insurance company. The program focuses on preparing patients and equipment for dental procedures, and office administrative functions. Program courses include: medical record-keeping, general office duties, reception and patient intake, scheduling, equipment maintenance and sterilization, basic radiography, pre and post-operative patient care and instruction, chairside assisting, taking tooth and mouth impressions, and supervised practice. Get more details below including other Washington colleges that offer dental assistant program.

The Dental Assistant program at South Puget Sound Community College is accredited by the American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation for more than 58 years.

Learn more by requesting information now!

South Puget Sound Community College

2405 E. College Way, Mount Vernon, WA

A community college located in Olympia in Washington, South Puget Sound Community college is a 125 acres school that serves around 7,000 students each year. The college is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities thereby ensuring that the quality of education taught in SPSCC meets beyond the standard.

South Puget Sound Community College has two campuses. The main campus in Olympia is surrounded with tranquil and lush woods which make it a perfect setting, conducive for learning while the Lacey Campus is located near residential areas providing access to local students.

There are a variety of academic programs in South Puget Sound Community and aside from the associate degrees and certificates, the school also teaches technical courses, non-credit programs, workshops and employee retraining courses. For this Academic Year (2013-2014), the tuition fee rates of South Puget Sound is $107 for enrollees living in  Washington while out-of-district and out-of-country students have to pay $120 and $279 respectively.

South Puget Sound Community College offers transfer services to students who want to pursue a four-year bachelor’s course using their associate degrees. Fortunately, SPSCC is part of the Washington Transfer Curriculum thus students do not need to worry about their units not being credited by other schools.

Students Enrolled in the Dental Assistant Program

Get more details below regarding enrollment, academics, and school demographics. South Puget Sound Community College has offered the following degree levels for students:

• Less Than One Year Certificate
• Associate's Degree
• Less Than Four-Year Award

Students by Academic Level (2019)

Students by Gender (2019)

Students by Race (2019)

Source: IPEDS Survey 2012-2020: Data obtained from the US Dept. of Education's Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). Data may vary depending on school and academic year.

Career Options for Graduates

Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary

Description

Teach courses in health specialties, in fields such as dentistry, laboratory technology, medicine, pharmacy, public health, therapy, and veterinary medicine.

Dental Assistants

Description

Assist dentist, set up equipment, prepare patient for treatment, and keep records.

Career Outlook & Projections ()

According to the BLS, dental assistants employment is expected to grow at a rate of 18.4% from 2014 to 2024

Salary & Wages

• Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA
  • Total Employment: 120
  • Average Hourly Rate: $19.31
  • Average Annual Salary: $40170

Source: Job descriptions, estimated salary and wages, and projected job growth are taken from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).