Trade Schools
According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the dental assistant profession will grow 8 percent by 2033, resulting in 54,900 new job openings across the United States.
The same agency reports that the mean annual wage reported by Iowa dental assistants was $49,140 as of May 2023.
Dental assistants perform a variety of duties in a dental office, under the supervision of a dentist, and many Iowa schools and community colleges offer programs designed to teach you the skills needed for entry-level employment.
If you want to prepare for a rewarding career in healthcare, our selection of the best dental assistant schools in Iowa is worth exploring.
Program duration varies from a few weeks to one year or more, depending on the credentials it leads to.
Costs also vary depending on the school, the credential, and the program duration.
1Des Moines Area Community College
Des Moines Area Community College provides a quality, affordable, student-centered education and training.
The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Courses Offered
Among many other programs, Des Moines Area Community College provides a Dental Assistant curriculum that prepares students for success as members of the dental health team.
The program covers general and special dentistry, chairside procedures, radiology, and laboratory work, as well as business office assisting.
The program may be taken on a full-time basis and runs for a year, from August to August.
Students need to achieve 42 credits for a diploma.
The curriculum includes:
- Principles of Dental Assisting
- Radiology
- Dental Anatomy
- Dental Materials
- Clinical Dental Assisting
- Ethics/Jurisprudence Seminar
- And more
Contact Information
- Address: 1100 7th Street, Des Moines, IA 50314
- Phone: (515) 964-6200 or (800) 362-2127
- Website: https://www.dmacc.edu
2Hawkeye Community College
About the School
Hawkeye Community College offers a Dental Assisting program that prepares students to assist a dentist at the chair side, perform clinical tasks, and carry out dental laboratory work.
The curriculum covers skills such as:
- Dental terminology
- Preventive and oral health education
- Oral and dental anatomy
- Dental procedures
- Computerized charting and record-keeping
- Dental equipment and materials
- Infection control
Students train a state-of-the-art clinic featuring 25 patient chairs, computerized patient record software, and a complete digital X-ray system under the supervision of licensed dentists and dental professionals.
The clinical part of the training gives students the opportunity to gain 320 hours of real-world work experience.
Graduates are eligible to take the national and state/regional exams for dental assisting registration.
This Dental Assisting program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation.
Contact Information
- Address: 1501 East Orange Road, P.O. Box 8015, Waterloo, IA 50704-8015
- Phone: 319-296-2320
- Website: https://www.hawkeyecollege.edu
3Iowa Western Community College
About the School
Iowa Western Community College offers a Dental Assistant diploma program for individuals who like to learn through fast-paced, hands-on experiences.
Students begin the hands-on experience in the first week of class.
This program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation, an accrediting body recognized by the Council on Postsecondary Accreditation and the United States Department of Education.
Iowa resident tuition is $8,568.
Additional fees bring the total cost for Iowa residents to $10,052.
The curriculum is designed to prepare students for the workforce upon completion of the ten-month diploma program.
The duties students are ready to perform range from assisting the dentist with procedures to educating patients to preparing and sterilizing dental instruments and performing administrative work.
Contact Information
- Address: 2700 College Rd. Council Bluffs, IA 51503
- Phone: 712-325-3200
- Website: https://www.iwcc.edu
4Northeast Iowa Community College
About the School
Northeast Iowa Community College offers a Dental Assisting program designed to be completed in less than a year and prepares students for work in a team environment, alongside dentists, hygienists, and other assistants.
Through classroom and lab work, students learn proper general chairside skills, radiographic and laboratory techniques, and effective oral/written communication skills.
Students also participate in clinical rotations in local dentist offices, where they gain experience working with diverse populations in healthcare.
After successfully completing the program, students are eligible to take the Iowa Dental Board state registration exams to become Registered Dental Assistants.
Graduates are also eligible to take exams prepared by the Dental Assisting National Board to become Certified Dental Assistants.
Tuition and fees sum up to approximately$10,400.
The Dental Assisting program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation and has been granted the accreditation status of “approval without reporting requirements”.
Contact Information
- Address: 1625 Hwy 150 S, Calmar, IA 52132
- Phone: 833.642.2338
- Website: https://www.nicc.edu
5Kirkwood Community College
About the School
Kirkwood Community College teaches students how to perform functions such as polishing teeth, taking X-rays, mixing materials, and sterilizing instruments.
This one-year program helps students gain classroom, laboratory, and hands-on experience by working with patients at the College of Dentistry at the University of Iowa and in private dental offices.
Students have the option to earn a one-year diploma first, then go on to take additional courses to earn an associate’s degree.
The total estimated cost for a one-year diploma is approximately $14,600
The program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation.
Contact Information
- Address: 6301 Kirkwood Blvd. SW, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52404
- Phone: 319-398-5411
- Website: https://www.kirkwood.edu
6Western Iowa Tech Community College
About the School
Western Iowa Tech Community College provides a Dental Assisting Diploma program designed to prepare students for an active role in providing quality dental services under the direction of a licensed dentist.
The training includes infection control management, chairside assisting procedures in general and specialty dentistry, management of medical and dental emergencies, intra- and extra-oral radiographic procedures, patient education, fabrication of oral appliances, and basic business office procedures.
Students learn theory in the classroom and online and practice skills hands-on in the school’s state-of-the-art lab at the Sioux City campus.
The Diploma program requires 35 credits.
Applicants need a high school, GED, or HSED transcript with the date of graduation.
In-state tuition and fees sum up to $7,280.
Contact Information
- Address: 4647 Stone Avenue, Sioux City, Iowa 51106
- Phone: 712.274.8733
- Website: https://www.witcc.edu
7Iowa Central Community College
About the School
Iowa Central Community College offers a Dental Assisting program designed to allow students to enter the workforce upon completion.
The ten-month diploma program helps students gain hands-on experience as chairside assistants in the Iowa Central Dental Hygiene clinic and a clinical externship.
The clinical duties covered by this program include:
- Equipment preparation and sterilization
- Preparing patients for treatment
- Assisting the dentist during treatment
- Providing patients with instructions for oral healthcare procedures.
Students also learn how to perform administrative duties such as:
- Scheduling appointments
- Maintaining medical records
- Billing and coding information for insurance purposes.
Applicants need a high school diploma (GPA ≥ 2.5), (GED ≥ 550/HiSET ≥ 15), or eight hours of previous college credit (GPA ≥ 2.0).
This program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation.
Contact Information
- Address: One Triton Cir, Fort Dodge, IA 50501, United States
- Phone: 800-362-2793
- Website: https://www.iowacentral.edu
8The University of Iowa- College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics
About the School
The University of Iowa- College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics provides a rewarding and patient-centered experience.
The Dental Assistant trainee program is a 12-month curriculum that includes on-the-job training, online coursework, and scheduled assessments.
The first six months of training focus on basic dental assisting skills, while the last six months focus on the addition of rotations through participating clinics.
Trainees are full-time employees with benefits starting the first day of the month following employment.
After completing the program, graduates have the option to apply for any open Dental Assistant positions currently advertised or be placed as a floater in the college if openings are available.
Contact Information
- Address: 801 Newton Rd., Iowa City, Iowa 52242
- Phone: 319-335-7499
- Website: https://uiowa.edu
9Iowa Valley Business and Community Solutions
About the School
Iowa Valley Business and Community Solutions offers a Dental Assistant program.
This online certification course takes between four and six months to complete and prepares students for entry-level positions as chair-side dental assistants.
Courses Offered
The program covers:
- the history of dentistry
- introduction to the dental office
- the legal aspects of dentistry
- introduction to oral anatomy
- dental operatory
- introduction to tooth structure
- and other areas
Graduates are prepared to:
- Describe the process for gathering and assessing patient health information
- Explain the foundations of and procedures used in clinical dentistry
- Summarize the essential administrative and communication skills required for dental assistants
- Explain the anatomy, physiology, and pathology concepts associated with dentistry
- And more
Contact Information
- Address: Marshalltown, Iowa 50158
- Phone: 888.574.6218
- Website: https://iavalley.edu2.com
10Indian Hills Community College
About the School
Indian Hills Community College provides a Dental Assisting diploma program that prepares students for work in a fast-paced atmosphere where students work chairside with the dentist.
Students become qualified to perform some dental procedures themselves, such as taking impressions or fabricating mouthguards.
The program costs approximately $13,400 in total.
Students can graduate in 12 months.
The Dental Assisting program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation.
The curriculum includes:
- Human Anatomy
- Computer Essentials
- Dental Anatomy
- Chairside Assisting Skills
- Dental Materials
- Nutrition for Dental Assistants
- Dental Radiography
- And more
Contact Information
- Address: 525 Grandview Avenue Ottumwa, Iowa 52501
- Phone: (800) 726-2585
- Website: https://www.indianhills.edu
Regional Salary in Iowa
| Region | Employed | Avg. Annual Salary | Avg. Hourly Pay | Top 10% Annual Salary | Bottom 10% Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ames, IA | 100 | $47,470 | $22.82 | $57,710 | $38,360 |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | 360 | $51,090 | $24.56 | $59,080 | $39,000 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | 430 | $45,590 | $21.92 | $58,300 | $35,470 |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | 720 | $52,410 | $25.2 | $60,790 | $43,680 |
| Dubuque, IA | 160 | $48,920 | $23.52 | $58,120 | $39,020 |
| Iowa City, IA | 260 | $51,740 | $24.88 | $59,440 | $39,640 |
| Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | 190 | $48,570 | $23.35 | $58,870 | $38,930 |
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA | 180 | $48,500 | $23.32 | $57,830 | $38,290 |
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.
Final Thoughts
If you want to start a rewarding career in healthcare but can’t afford to spend many years in post-secondary studies, this page has provided you with information about the schools that can prepare you for entry-level employment as a dental assistant.
Now that you have read our selection of the best dental assistant schools in Iowa, it’s time to continue the research and apply for the program that best fits your lifestyle.
