Starting a Dental Assistant Career in Plano, Texas
Just a few miles north of Dallas, the growing city of Plano, Texas, offers a rich life for aspiring dental assistants. With excellent public schools, affordable living costs and a huge Texas culinary scene, this city has everything you need to live an enjoyable life while training for or seeking your first dental assistant job. Residents here can enjoy downtown Plano’s abundance of businesses and restaurants while completing dental assistant training in nearby Dallas.
Study in Nearby Dallas
To become a registered dental assistant (RDA) in Texas, you must complete a training program that will prepare you to pass exams as required by the Texas Dental Board. Because Plano is so close to Dallas, Plano residents have access to a wide range of Dallas dental assistant training programs. Two options include:
- Aspire Dental Assisting School. Located in Dallas, this school’s 10-week dental assisting program includes 112 hours of classroom instruction, 64 lab hours and a 32-hour dental office externship. Aspire prepares students to pass required exams issued by the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners (TSBDE). The school offers a finance plan for tuition payment and job placement services to graduates.
- Dallas Dental Assistant School. For a 12-week dental assistant program, check out this school, which is licensed and regulated by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC). Classes are held once a week on Saturdays, and the program is short because it takes place entirely in a dental clinic. Tuition currently runs from $3,350 to $3,510 for the entire program.
Find a Secure Career Path
Plano offers a promising future for those beginning dental assistant careers. In 2018, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington area employed 9,730 dental assistants—the highest number among Texas cities. Dental assistants in this area were also paid well, with a reported median income of $18.80 per hour. This makes Dallas-Plano area dental assistants some of the highest paid in the state.
Working and Living in Plano
With such great job prospects, you might be wondering if there’s much to do in Plano during your free time. This is a great city for families, with 84 parks throughout the area, the Plano Aquatic Center and Kid Mania. Outdoors enthusiasts will find a home in the 200-acre Arbor Hills Nature Preserve. Still, if you’re wondering about the night life, Plano will surely satisfy with its abundance of sports bars, grills featuring authentic Texan food and rustic Texas bars and restaurants. Your career as a dental assistant in this city is sure to be anything but boring.