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Certified dental assistant education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
2 min read
Usually, certified dental assistants don't need a college education. The most common degree for certified dental assistants is associate degree with 31% graduates, with only 16% certified dental assistant graduates earning diploma. Certified dental assistants who decided to graduate from college often finish Pima Medical Institute or University of Phoenix. Some good skills to have in this position include patients, dental procedures and cpr.

Popular certified dental assistant certifications include Dental Assistant (RDA), Certified Dental Assistant (CDA), or Certified Dental Technician. To improve certified dental assistant qualification and skills, we prepared some online courses to help in certified dental assistant education paths.

What education do you need to become a certified dental assistant?

What degree do you need to be a certified dental assistant?

The most common degree for certified dental assistants is associate degree, with 31% of certified dental assistants earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are diploma degree at 16% and diploma degree at 15%.
  • Associate, 31%
  • Diploma, 16%
  • Bachelor's, 15%
  • High School Diploma, 13%
  • Other Degrees, 25%

What should I major in to become a certified dental assistant?

You should major in dental assisting to become a certified dental assistant. 44% of certified dental assistants major in dental assisting. Other common majors for a certified dental assistant include business and general studies.

Best majors for certified dental assistants

20 best online courses for certified dental assistants

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1. Introduction to Dental Medicine

coursera

The mouth is the window into human health. This course provides an overview of dental medicine to engage, educate, excite and assist you in improving the oral health of your patients and members of your community. We will review topics in dental medicine including scope of the field, what to expect in function, and some of the many ways that dysfunction may present for different patients. This will include discussions of mouth, jaw, and tooth anatomy, pathology, and treatment. We will talk...

2. Addiction Treatment: Clinical Skills for Healthcare Providers

coursera

This course is designed with a singular goal: to improve the care you provide to your patients with substance use disorders. By delving into a model case performed by actors, seven Yale instructors from various fields provide techniques to screen your patients for substance use disorder risk, diagnose patients to gauge the severity of their use, directly manage treatment plans, refer out to treatment services, and navigate the various conditions that may limit your patient’s access to treatment...

3. Modern Dental Extractions - Fast, Painless, & Non-invasive

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The goal is less trauma and less drama! This is an update that teaches superior methods for atraumatic extractions...

4. OSHA Workplace Safety (General Industry 6 Hr Class)

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Learn the requirements and standards associated with OSHA and workplace safety. Safety best practices for the workplace...

5. Medical Emergencies: CPR, Toxicology, and Wilderness

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In this course, you will develop the knowledge and skills to assess and stabilize certain types of patients for transport. By the end of this course, you will be able to: (1) Identify the signs and symptoms associated with a patient in shock, to describe the major categories of shock, to assess a patient with signs of shock and formulate a plan for treatment to stabilize the patient for transport, (2) Identify a patient in cardiac arrest and to describe the components of high performance CPR...

6. Prehospital care of acute stroke and patient selection for endovascular treatment using the RACE scale

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Acute stroke is a time-dependent medical emergency. In acute ischemic stroke, the first objective is to restore brain flow using sistemic thrombolytic treatment and, in patients with large vessel occlusion, by endovascular treatment. In hemorrhagic stroke there are also specific treatments that can improve the clinical outcome. The sooner the initiation of all these therapies the higher the clinical benefit. Thus, the organization of Stroke Code systems coordinated between emergency medical...

7. Becoming an Executive Personal Assistant

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Learn how to be an effective personal assistant, and find out how to develop the skills for the role...

8. Become a Virtual Assistant

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Live Free. Work Virtually. Virtual Assistant Training...

9. Value-Based Care: Managing Processes to Improve Outcomes

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COURSE 3 of 7. This course is designed to introduce you to critical office-based processes that a value-based practice must manage in the drive towards improved patient outcomes. In Module 2, we’ll focus on office-based and clinical patient-based supporting functions. At every level in healthcare, guidelines, processes, and functions exist to improve outcomes, and following a consistent process will return the best effect. Refine your understanding of value and learn strategies to provide real...

10. Virtual Assistant Training, a Complete Guide: Work From Home

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Rock Star Virtual Assistant Training: Create an online business + become a freelancing virtual professional in any field...

11. Complete Data Entry Skills Course - Learn Data Entry Skills

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Learn Essential Data Entry Skills Now To Enhance Your Career -Word - Excel - Database - Data Entry Jobs...

12. Data Entry Course for Beginners

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Learn from a Successful Data Entry Professional!...

13. Data Entry Skills: A Complete Data Entry Course from Scratch

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A Complete Guide to Data Entry Skills: Learn Data Entry Skills and become a Data Entry Pro & Get a Online Data Entry Job...

14. 20hr Intensive Chair Yoga Teacher Training- Certified

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A fun-loving Chair Yoga Teacher Training for Yoga Teachers & Senior Yoga Practitioners! Studio Certificate & No Homework...

15. Python PCEP: Become Certified Entry-Level Python Programmer

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Learn Python from scratch and pass the PCEP exam (Certified Entry-Level Python Programmer)...

16. Certified Minitab Proficient: SPC Control Chart (Accredited)

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Certified Minitab Proficient (Accredited) SPC Control Charts on Minitab Minitab Proficient Certification Earn PDUs...

17. Project Schedule: Monitor & Control Specialist (Accredited)

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Schedule Management: Monitor & Control Schedule, Analyze Schedule, Solve Project Schedule Problems Earn CPDs & PDUs...

18. Must-Have Tools for Virtual Assistants in 2023

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Step by step tutorials for over 30 tools that will make your Virtual Assistant business and productivity skyrocket!...

19. OSHA Control of Hazardous Energy and Lock Out / Tag Out

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OSHA required training under 29 CFR 1910 and 1926...

20. Google Assistant development with Actions on Google

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Google Assistant development in Node.js with Actions on Google & Dialog Flow & Firebase for Google Home & Android device...

Average certified dental assistant salary by education level

According to our data, certified dental assistants with a Bachelor's degree earn the highest average salary, at $40,916 annually. Certified dental assistants with a Associate degree earn an average annual salary of $40,751.
Certified dental assistant education levelCertified dental assistant salary
High School Diploma or Less$39,426
Bachelor's Degree$40,916
Some College/ Associate Degree$40,751

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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