Dental Assisting

Program Description

As a dental assistant, you interact with patients and assist dentists to provide quality dental health which is sure to put a smile on anyone's face. Our program provides you opportunities to develop specialized skills in dental health education, chair-side assisting, various laboratory procedures, coronal polishing, radiation exposure and processing, business office procedures, and more than 300 hours of clinical experience.

Your hands-on classroom includes laboratory, pre-clinical and clinical instruction covering dental assisting skills and related theory. To prepare yourself for our curriculum, we recommend you take courses in biology, anatomy, health, nutrition, computer skills, and Dental Terminology.

Dental assistants are classified as licensed professionals in the state of Nebraska. With your license, you will be able to continue your education and training in advanced dental assisting courses.

Careers

You picked the right time to become a dental assistant. Population growth, greater retention of natural teeth by middle-aged and older people, and an increased focus on preventative dental care for younger generations fuels the demand for dental services. Career options include:

  • Certified Dental Assitant
  • Dental Assistant
  • Dental Claims Processor
  • Licensed Dental Assistant
  • Office Manager
  • Orthodontic Assistant

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Awards Offered: A.A.S. Degree / Diploma
Locations: Lincoln
Formats: In-Person
Start: Fall / Spring
Schedule: Full-Time / Part-time
Estimated Total Cost
$8,180 Associate of Applied Science
$5,730 Diploma

Dental Assisting students are good communicators, organized, flexible and empathetic. They like to work in a team setting and are willing to learn and ask questions.

START HERE FOR DIPLOMA: Please follow the steps on the Getting Started Checklist: Diploma (PDF) to complete the program application process. (All students must start with the diploma program first.)

START HERE FOR AAS: Please follow the steps on the Getting Started Checklist: AAS (PDF) to complete the program application process. (Students must be a graduate of the diploma program.)

Additional links/resources:

 

Accreditation

The Dental Assisting program at SCC is accredited by:

ADA - CODA
401 North Michigan Ave., Suite 3300, Chicago, IL
60611-4250
800-232-6108
http://www.ada.org/en/coda

CODA

Notice of Site Visit - October 21 and 22, 2025

This program has been granted the accreditation status of “approval without reporting requirements.” The commission is a specialized accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education.

Southeast Community College is a State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement Institution (NC-SARA) institution. As such, SCC is unable to offer online or distance courses to students in the following areas at this time: American Samoa, Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

State Licensure or Certification Requirements

This program’s curriculum has been approved through a National accreditor, the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation. Graduates of this accredited program may sit for the Dental Assisting National Board Exam (DANB) – Certified Dental Assistant Exam.

This program is acceptable in all states, however, other states may have additional requirements such as a CBC, drug testing, etc.

The Dental Assisting Program meets the licensure requirements of the following states: AL, AK, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, FL, GA, HI, ID, IL, IA, IN, KS, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, OH, OK, OR, PA, PR, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WI, WV.

For more information about the post-graduation achievements of SCC Graduates as well as average starting salaries, refer to the annual Graduate Report (PDF).

For information about the methodologies used to gather the post-graduation student achievement data contained in the annual Graduate Report, refer to the Institutional Research page or contact ir@southeast.edu.