How to become a dental assistant

1. 1Finish high school or get a GED

   Time: 4 years (high school)Sources 1, 4

   A diploma or equivalent is needed for most dental assisting programs and for DANB's work-experience route to the CDA. Biology, chemistry and anatomy help with the terminology and infection control you will learn later. Some high schools run DANB-accepted dental assisting programs of their own, which can qualify you for DANB's entry-level NELDA certification. A part-time job at a dental front desk is another way to see the work up close.

2. 2Check your state's dental assistant rules

   Time: 1-2 hoursSources 3, 7

   Before choosing a training route, find out what your state requires. Some states have no formal requirement for basic chairside work; others require a registration, license or permit, especially to take x-rays, polish teeth or perform expanded duties. Licenses and registrations do not always transfer if you move. Your state dental board, DANB's state pages and the CareerOneStop License Finder show which exams and courses your state accepts.

3. 3Complete a dental assisting program or start on-the-job training

   Time: About 1 year (program) or several months on the jobCost: $4,748/yr median public in-state tuitionSources 1, 5, 6

   Most programs run about a year at a community college or technical school and end with a certificate or diploma; two-year programs lead to an associate degree. They mix classroom work in dental anatomy, materials, radiography and infection control with lab practice and a supervised clinical placement. Graduating from a CODA-accredited program gives you the direct path to the CDA. If you train on the job instead, a dentist or experienced assistant teaches you in the office.

4. 4Get CPR certified

   Time: One dayCost: Varies by providerSources 2, 8

   DANB requires current hands-on CPR, BLS or ACLS from a provider it accepts before you can sit for the General Chairside Assisting exam, under any eligibility pathway. Many programs include a BLS course, and employers usually expect it anyway. Keep the card current, because you also need valid CPR every year to renew DANB certification.

5. 5Pass the CDA exam or your state's required exams

   Time: 1-2 months of studyCost: $450 for the CDA (2026)Sources 2, 9

   DANB's CDA has three parts: General Chairside Assisting, Radiation Health and Safety, and Infection Control, 245 questions in about 195 minutes when taken together. The parts can also be taken separately; RHS and ICE have no eligibility requirements, which helps in states that ask for an x-ray or infection control credential. To sit for GC, you need a CODA-accredited program or at least 3,500 hours of work experience over 2 to 4 years.

6. 6Add expanded-function or specialty training

   Time: Weeks to monthsCost: Varies by courseSources 3, 4

   Once you are working, you can take state-approved courses for expanded duties such as coronal polishing, sealants or restorative functions, where your state allows them. DANB also offers credentials in specific areas, including orthodontic assisting and infection prevention. Expanded duties make you more useful to an office and are a common step toward a higher-paying role.

Programs, tuition and graduates’ earnings

U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (most recent cohorts, released 2026-10-15). Scorecard groups programs by 4-digit field, so a row can include related programs. Tuition is the median published undergraduate tuition and fees of the colleges offering the program (shown only for undergraduate credentials); debt is the median of programs’ median federal loan debt at completion; earnings are the national median for the field and credential four years after completion.

Requirements differ by state. Check your state’s rules in the CareerOneStop License Finder (U.S. Department of Labor) before you enroll.

Anticipating the dentist

A good assistant has the next instrument or material ready before the dentist asks, which keeps a procedure short and the patient comfortable.

Working in a small space

Suction tips, cotton rolls and the curing light all have to fit in a patient's mouth alongside the dentist's hands without blocking the view.

Strict infection control

Instruments, handpieces and surfaces must be processed the same way every time, because one mistake can spread infection between patients.

Calming nervous patients

Many people fear dental work, and the assistant is usually the person who sits with them, explains what is happening and watches for distress.

Office multitasking

In smaller practices the same person may take x-rays, update charts, confirm insurance and schedule the next visit in a single afternoon.

O*NET 31.0 rates these skills as most important for the occupation: active listening, speaking, reading comprehension, active learning, monitoring.

Training cost

$450–$9.9K

Before financial aid

Time

1 year

Typical path

Median pay

$48,070

All US jobs: $50,980

Payback once qualified

No premium

Pay above the all-jobs median vs. cost

Low: on-the-job training (paid by the employer) plus the DANB CDA exam, $450 in 2026, taken through the work-experience pathway. High: a 1-year certificate at the College Scorecard median public in-state tuition for dental support undergraduate certificate programs ($4,748/yr), stretched to 2 years to approximate an associate degree: 2 x $4,748 = $9,496, plus the $450 CDA exam. Scorecard's figure is for certificate programs, so actual associate degree tuition may differ. A 1-year certificate at that tuition comes to $4,748 plus the exam. Not included: books, scrubs, CPR course, state registration fees and living costs. Private career schools often charge more.

Rough guide only: ignores taxes, aid, interest and earnings given up during training. How we calculate it.

• Dental hygienist$98,100 median

  Requires a CODA-accredited dental hygiene program, usually an associate degree after prerequisites, plus national and clinical exams and a state license.

• Expanded-function or orthodontic dental assistant

  State-approved coursework, and in some states an exam or permit, for duties such as restorative work, polishing or orthodontic tasks.

• Office manager or treatment coordinator

  Experience with scheduling, insurance and billing, sometimes with a short business or dental office management course.

• Dentist$170,950 median

  A bachelor's degree with prerequisites, the Dental Admission Test and four years of dental school, followed by licensing exams.

• Dental assisting instructor

  Several years of experience and the CDA; many programs also look for a degree to teach.