Becoming a Dental Assistant in Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, with its humid subtropical climate, is a millennial hub, one of the fastest-growing cities in America and the country’s second-largest banking center. It provides a headquarters for Bank of America and for Wells Fargo’s east coast operations. Settled by Europeans in the mid-18th century, Charlotte is now a city of almost a million people.
If you’re considering a career as a dental assistant, Charlotte would be a great place to find work. As a dentist’s right hand, dental assistants acquire clinical skills to prepare patients for anesthesia and provide support for restorative and cosmetic procedures, as well as take x-rays and update and maintain charts. North Carolina requirements for dental assistants do not include certification but rather recognize employer-verified Dental Assistants I and II.
Dental Assistant Schools in Charlotte
There are several dental assistant training programs offered in or near Charlotte. Of these, two are right in the city:
- Charlotte Dental Assistant School. This program spans 12 weeks and takes an innovative approach to scheduling, offering classes only on Fridays or Saturdays. Students complete a 40-hour externship at a local dental office. Classes include dental anatomy, radiology, dental impressions, anesthesia and medical emergencies.
- Central Piedmont Community College. This school offers a six-semester associate’s degree program in dental hygiene and a dental assistant diploma that includes lab and clinical experience and training in all aspects of dental assisting, including practice management.
Career Outlook and Salary Expectations
There are currently just over 2,200 dental assistants employed in Charlotte, earning an average of $21.17 per hour or $44,040 per year. Job prospects for dental assistants are good, as the city is the largest in North Carolina and continues to grow as a financial, tech and transportation hub for the region.
Working as a Dental Assistant in Charlotte
Whether you choose to work in a downtown dental office or in one of Charlotte’s many suburban neighborhoods, you’ll enjoy its modern city center, home to the Levine Museum of the New South (post–Civil War southern history), Discovery Place and its hands-on science displays or perhaps the NASCAR Hall of Fame with its interactive exhibits and films. Charlotte is a city with something for everyone.