How to Become a Dental Assistant in California

At its core, a dental assistant position is an entry-level position that gives the employee a wide variety of exposure to different aspects of working in the dental industry. Dental assistants work under the direct supervision of a licensed dentist. With practice, perseverance, and the right approach, dental assistants in California can have fulfilling and rewarding careers.

To succeed as a dental assistant, you need to be organized, detail-oriented, an excellent communicator, and be patient-focused in your work. Many people come to the dentist in an anxious state. Dental assistants can help them by setting the tone for their appointment and assuaging any fears they may have.

You can expect to perform the following duties as an entry-level assistant in California:

• General administrative tasks including billing and payments
• Greet and prepare patients for treatment
• Chairside assisting during treatments
• Sterilizing dental instruments
• Educate patients regarding oral health and dental hygiene
• Discuss post-treatment or surgical care with the patient
• Maintain dental records and schedule appointments

Restrictions

Although the position comes with exposure to many different experiences working with patients, a dental assistant at any level in California is not allowed to perform any of the following tasks:

• Diagnose and plan treatment
• Prescribe medication and recommend post-visit actions
• Place finish or remove permanent restorations
• Fit and adjust correctional prosthodontic appliances
• Surgical or cutting procedures on hard or soft tissue
• Supragingival and subgingival scaling
• Irrigate and medicate canals or fill root canals
• Prophylaxis procedures

Dental Assisting Program in California

While no official rules require a dental assistant to pursue post-secondary education, the state of California adheres to a strict level system for dental assistants. Dental assisting program lengths will vary based on which level of dental assistant you wish to become. Regulations for each level of practice are set by the Dental Board of California. Those four categories and their education requirements are as follows:

Unlicensed dental assistant

Although unlicensed, these employees must hold certification in Basic Life Support (BLS). They must have completed an American Red Cross or an American Heart Association-approved BLS course, a board-approved course in infection control, and a board-approved course within a year of starting work in the California Dental Practice Act.

Registered dental assistant

You must complete a board-approved RDA course or have 15 months of experience practicing as a dental assistant to become registered.

Additionally, candidates must complete a state written exam covering laws and ethics, an American Red Cross or American Heart Association approved BLS course, a board-approved course in Coronal polishing and radiation safety, and board-approved courses in infection control and the California Dental Practice Act.

Once these requirements are met, the assistant must apply to the Dental Board of California for an RDA license.

Dental sedation assistant permit holder

To obtain this permit, candidates must be an RDA and have worked as a dental assistant for at least 12 months, have completed a board-approved dental sedation assistant course, a state examination in dental sedation duties, an American Red Cross or American Heart Health BLS course, and courses in infection control and the California Dental Practice Act.

Once these requirements are met, the assistant must apply to the Dental Board of California for a Dental Sedation Assistant permit.

Orthodontic assistant permit holder

Also requiring the candidate to be an RDA, to obtain this permit, you must have at least 12 months of experience as a dental assistant complete a board-approved orthodontic assistant course and a written orthodontic exam, an American Red Cross or American Heart Health BLS course, and courses in infection control and California Dental Practice Act.

Once these requirements are met, the assistant must apply to the Dental Board of California for an Orthodontic Assistant Permit.

Dental Assistant Schools in California

The State of California may not require post-secondary studies. Still, it does require all dental assistants to obtain some formal training in order to practice in the industry. The type and length of training depend on whether the person is interested in becoming registered or obtaining any advanced function licenses. Employees have the option to learn and study on the job, but attending a school that is approved by the Commission on Dental Assisting (CODA) will be helpful should you wish to advance your career at any point. Dental assistant school programs are typically completed in one year or less and may offer an externship component to help students gain real-world experience.

It also shows potential employers that you are committed to a career in the dental industry and are coming into the job with a certain amount of knowledge and experience under your belt.

Twenty-four dental assisting schools in California offer CODA-approved programs, so you should have no problem finding a program and location that suits your needs and personal circumstances. The following is a random selection of 10 such schools.

• College of Alameda, Alameda, CA
• Orange Coast College, Costa Mesa, CA
• Cypress College, Cypress, CA
• College of the Redwoods, Eureka, CA
• Citrus College, Glendora, Ca
• Hacienda La Puente Adult Education, La Puente, CA
• Foothill College, Los Altos Hills, CA
• Moreno Valley College, Moreno Valley, CA
• Cerritos College, Norwalk, CA
• College of Marin, Novato, CA

For those who may wish to study from home, or whose schedule means that they need to study at their own pace, Penn Foster Career School offers a comprehensive online program that can get you started on your journey wherever and whenever is most convenient for you in as little as 4 months.

See also our guides to studying dental assisting in following cities: Anaheim, Bakersfield, Chula Vista, Fresno, Irvine, Long beach, Los Angeles, Oakland, Riverside, Sacramento, Santa Ana, San Diego, San Francisco, and Stockton.

What is covered, and how long does it take?

Formal training will most likely take place primarily in the classroom. However, a good dental assisting program will also include hands-on experience, which many CODA-accredited programs contain. Some programs even include internships which are an excellent way to get on-the-job experience and technical skills. Course work may vary from program to program, but those attending a CODA-accredited program can expect the following areas to be covered during their studies:

• Front office management, insurance, law and ethics
• Disease transmission and general safety
• Diet and nutrition
• CPR and basic life-saving techniques
• Dental anatomy, terminology, and pathology
• Dental Radiology (See radiological technology schools in California)
• Restorative dental procedures and orthodontics
• Chairside assisting
• Pediatric dentistry
• Preventive Dentistry
• Periodontics, endodontics
• Oral and Maxillofacial surgery

A CODA-accredited program will take anywhere from 9-11 months to complete. Still, it can take up to 2 years to complete your training depending on the program you choose and whether you choose to take additional courses. Additional training for expanded licensing can add to the time of your study, but much of this can be completed part-time while working in your field.

Keep in mind as well that if you plan to get certified, many CODA-accredited programs will offer in-class assistance and other resources for exam preparation, so be sure to get the most out of your time in the program.

Getting Certified and Dental Board

Further to getting registered and obtaining advanced function licenses, some dental assistants may wish to become nationally certified through the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB). It should be noted that you do not need to be a registered dental assistant in order to become certified. In order to begin the certification process, a candidate must have graduated from a CODA-approved program or have completed 3,500 hours of relevant work experience.

There are four certifications available to dental assistants through DANB.

• Certified Dental Assistant (CDA)
• Certified Restorative Functions Dental Assistant (CRFDA)
• Certified Preventative Functions Dental Assistant (DPFDA)
• Certified Orthodontic Assistant (COA)

The entry-level certification is the Certified Dental Assistant. To obtain this certification, candidates must complete an exam consisting of the following three components:

• General Chairside Assisting (GC)
• Infection Control (ICE)
• Radiation Health and Safety (RHS)

These components can be taken separately or all at once. If taken separately, candidates have five years to complete all three sections. Exams are taken at Pearson VUE testing centers, of which there are 16 in the state of California.

Certification must be renewed every year, and in order to be eligible, candidates must complete 30 continuing education credits during the year prior to renewal. The credits fall into four areas of study, and the breakdown of those credits is as follows:

• Clinical practice – at least 12
• DANB and other dental related exams – at least 12
• Dental office management – at least 3
• Volunteer service or scholarly activity – at least 3

An excellent resource for obtaining these credits is the DALE Foundation which is an affiliate of DANB. Applications for recertification start at $75 and go up depending on how many certifications you wish to renew.

ROP Dental Assistant classes

ROP classes are adult education courses that are available in California for both students and adults. ROP stands for Regional Occupational Program. Available classes vary from district to district. ROP classes offer the possibility of becoming a certified dental assistant. This forms part of Career Technical Education (CTE), which addresses the aims of college and career readiness through relevant and rigorous learning experiences.

There are four regional occupational centers (ROCPs): Central Region (Fresno, Kern, Kings, Merced, Mono and Stanislaus counties), Coastal Region (Alameda, Contra Costa, Monterey, Napa, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties), Northern Region (Butte, El Dorado, Glenn, Humboldt, Placer, Sacramento, Shasta, Siskiyou, Sutter, Tehama and Yolo counties) and Southern Region (Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Santa Barbara counties).

Some of the available programs offer a Certificate of Completion, and certification in CPR (American Heart Association), Radiology, 8-Hour infection control and HIPAA. However, others such as Butte County CTE, offer eligibility for the Registered Dental Assistant Examination offered by the Dental Board of California in a program that will certify competency, and provide certifications in Dental Radiation Safety, Coronal Polish, Infection Control, the Dental Practice Act and Pit and Fissure Sealants.

Notable ROP classes include:

• In Kern, ROC & CTEC in Kern High School District (KHSD).
• In Alameda County, Eden Area ROP in Hayward
• In Butte County, Butte County CTE in Chico
• In Santa Cruz county, Santa Cruz County Career Technical Education Partnership (CTEP) offers a 10-month, WASC-accredited program.
• In El Dorado county, El Dorado Union High School District offers a dental careers program.
• Sacramento ROP and Placer County 49er ROP offer a Dental Careers program at Auburn ROP Center.
• In Sutter county, Tri County ROP in Yuba City.
• Imperial Valley, in El Centro at Imperial Valley Regional Occupational Program.
• In Los Angeles County, Tri-Cities ROP in Whittier.
• In Orange County, North Orange County ROP.
• In Riverside County, at Riverside County Office of Education SCE Main Campus in Riverside – Grindstaff, or at SCE Branch Campus in Indio.
• In San Bernardino County, at Morongo Unified School District in Twenty-nine Palms.

Further Studies

For a position that can be entered straight out of high school, there are many opportunities to grow within the role as well as the ability to branch out into other areas of dental healthcare. For dental assistants wishing to advance their careers in the dental industry, there are several options available depending on their interests and goals.

Dental Hygienist – For those interested in patient care and who wish to pursue learning more in-depth dental procedures, becoming a dental hygienist is an excellent step to take. Becoming a licensed hygienist provides a stable career and an almost guaranteed salary hike. There is also the possibility that you may be able to apply some of your dental assistant credits to your degree. This will help to shorten your time spent studying and the cost of obtaining the degree.

Dental Office Manager – If you like the idea of overseeing the daily comings and goings of a dental office, then the business side of the industry may interest you the most. Pursuing a degree in office administration or business will have you well on your way to a career in office management while remaining connected to the health care industry.

Dental Laboratory Technician – For dental assistants who are more interested in the technical side of dentistry, you may consider pursuing a degree to become a dental laboratory technician. This would see you responsible for filling prescriptions for bridges, crowns, and other dental prosthetics.

Career / Job Outlook and Salary Expectations

For anyone considering a career as a dental assistant, California has one of the most positive job market in all of the U.S. According to the Dental Board of California and labor statistics, there is expected to be an increase of about 1,640 dental assistant jobs year over year that happened from 2013 – 2022. From 2018 – 2029 The Employment Development Department of California estimates a growth of 9,100 positions which is a rise of 15.3 percent. This shows a steady and increasing rate of growth. Dental Offices tend to be profitable and therefore have the ability to offer higher salaries and more positions as the business grows.

Much of this is assumed to be in direct correlation to aging populations requiring more extensive health care, which is a trend that is not set to slow down any time soon. As well as an aging population, an increase in the general public’s understanding of the importance of dental health has also contributed to this upward trend in job openings.

Salary expectations are also high for a dental assistant in California. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary for a dental assistant in the U.S is $41,180 per year or $19.80 per hour. In the state of California, the average wage is higher at $44,490 per year, which is $21.61 per hour. This is just an average, so depending on where you end up working and what kind of training you have, there is also the possibility of obtaining a higher salary. This is especially true if the practice you choose is an established and reputable one.

Working in California

While dentist assistants are needed in every area of the state, from the largest city to the smallest town, the BLS shows that the areas of Los Angeles, Long Beach, Anaheim, San Francisco, Oakland, and Hayward County have the highest number of dental assistant positions.

Recent graduates or someone looking for a new job will have the best chance of employment by looking at dentist offices as they employ 92.4 percent of all dental assistants in the state. 2.4 percent are employed by physicians’ offices, and outpatient care centers employ 1.2 percent.

If you enjoying caring for others and the idea of room to grow and continued learning experiences excite you, a career in dental assisting could be the perfect match for you. For more information and networking opportunities, try the following resources:

• California Dental Association
• California Dental Assistants Association

Related:

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