Trade Schools
If you want to start a rewarding career in the dental field without spending four years in dental school, the dental assisting profession is worth exploring.
Here you will discover more about the best dental assistant schools in the state of Michigan and the programs they offer.
According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, Michigan dental assistants earned, on average, $45,210 per year.
Before being ready to apply for your first job in a dental office, you have to learn how to perform a variety of tasks, including:
- Dental infection control
- Four-handed dentistry
- Dental laboratory techniques
- Radiographic techniques
- Emergency procedures
- Instruct patients on proper oral hygiene
- Schedule patient appointments
- And more
The programs included in our list combine classroom with hands-on training to get you ready for entry-level employment in the field.
1MIchigan Dental Assisting School
About the School
Michigan Dental Assisting School provides students with everything they need to succeed in their chosen profession.
The school’s instructors have real-world experience and have enjoyed decades of success in clinical and administrative roles.
Students work with instructors in a hands-on environment and in small groups.
The school is licensed by the State of Michigan to conduct a ten-week course that prepares students with the knowledge and skills needed to enter into the field of dental assisting.
The course costs $3,699.
The curriculum includes 80 classroom hours, an X-ray certification for dental assistants, OSHA certification and HIPAA certificate, CPR certification, and a dental assisting certificate through Michigan Dental Assisting School.
The school also requires that students complete a ten-hour job shadow experience.
Contact Information
- Address: 32905 W. 12 Mile Rd, Suite 240 A, Farmington Hills, MI 48334
- Phone: (248) 952-9811
- Website: https://midentalassistingschool.com
2Mid Michigan College
Mid Michigan College offers students the opportunity to earn a degree for free if they qualify for a tuition-free path available for in-district students.
The college offers more than 100 programs and pathways that lead to associate degrees, training credentials, and certificates.
Courses Offered
The Dental Assistant program available at Mid Michigan College is a 100-hour short-term training program that prepares students for entry-level positions in one of the fastest-growing healthcare professions- Dental Assisting.
The school provides an evening schedule and hands-on training in a dental care facility.
The training cost is $2,300 and includes:
- Textbook
- Classroom lab supplies
- Michigan Dental Association Radiography certification
The training includes:
- The dental assisting profession and history of dentistry
- Parts of the jaw and areas of the mouth
- Oral health and prevention of dental disease
- Infection control in dentistry and occupational health and safety
- Patient information and assessment
- Foundation of Clinical Dentistry
- Dental radiology
- And more
Contact Information
- Address: 1375 S. Clare Ave. Harrison, MI 48625
- Phone: (989) 386-6622
- Website: https://www.midmich.edu
3Dorsey College
About the School
Dorsey College provides a dental assisting training program that includes classes designed to teach students vital skills and help them excel in a dental assistant career.
Each class is designed to prepare students for tasks such as:
- Scheduling appointments
- How to process an X-ray image
- How to perform sterilization and infection control
- Laboratory procedures
- And more
After completing classes, students are placed in an externship to complete their Dental Assistant training.
The externship allows students to practice the knowledge and skills they have learned in a real-world setting.
Students may also get experience interacting with real patients during the externship.
Dorsey College is accredited by the Commission of the Council on Occupational Education.
Contact Information
- Address: 31739 John R Road Madison Heights, Michigan 48071
- Phone: 248-588-9660
- Website: https://www.dorsey.edu
4Delta College
About the School
Delta College offers a Dental Assisting program that prepares students for the State of Michigan licensure exam to become Registered Dental Assistants.
The program prepares students for entry-level positions.
The Dental Assisting program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation.
After completing this program, students are eligible to take the certification exam of the Dental Assisting National Board to become a Certified Dental Assistant and the Michigan Department of Community Health exam to become Registered Dental Assistants.
The Dental Assistant program can be completed in one year by full-time students and in two years by part-time programs.
The school has a dental clinic, where students can get hands-on experience working with dentists and patients that are referred from Helen M. Nickless Medical Clinic.
Contact Information
- Address: 1961 Delta Road, University Center, MI 48710
- Phone: 989-686-9000
- Website: https://www.delta.edu
5Dental Careers of Michigan
About the School
Dental Careers of Michigan offers affordable tuition and quality hands-on experience.
The 10-week intensive dental education course offers hands-on learning with real patients while replicating the feel of a dental office setting.
The program covers a wide range of skills, from reception to X-ray, assisting dentists to sterilizing the equipment, and more.
The Saturday classroom time allows students to benefit from the most up-to-date industry education.
Courses Offered
The curriculum covers:
- Dental theory and terminology
- Receptionist and front desk office management
- Four-handed dental assisting
- Certified radiology
- Sterilization techniques
- Job interview and placement assistance
Along with a diploma and X-ray certification, the school also provides students with a letter of recommendation upon graduation.
Contact Information
- Address: 28437 Greenfield Rd, Southfield, MI 48076
- Phone: (248) 423-1100
- Website: https://dentalcareersofmichigan.com
6Grand Rapids Community College
About the School
Grand Rapids Community College offers a Dental Assisting program that provides students with learning opportunities that enable them to obtain licensure as Registered Dental Hygienists or Registered Dental Assistants.
The curriculum allows students to qualify for jobs as both Certified and Registered Dental Assistants in one year.
After completing their first ten months of training and education at GRCC, graduates will have earned a GRCC Certificate in Dental Assisting.
Following completion of the 10-month curriculum, students may return to the GRCC and earn an Associate in Applied Arts and Sciences degree by taking eight more courses in liberal arts.
Courses Offered
The Certificate pathway includes courses such as:
- Science for the Dental Assistant
- Nutrition and Oral Disease Prevention
- Dental Biomaterials
- Oral Pathology for Dental Assisting
- Applied Principles of Dental Assisting
- Business Management of the Dental Practice
- Infection Control in Dentistry
- Introduction to Dentistry
- Dental Radiography
- And more
The program includes 44 credit hours in total.
Contact Information
- Address: 143 Bostwick Avenue NE, Grand Rapids MI 49503-3295
- Phone: (616) 234-4000
- Website: https://www.grcc.edu
7Macomb Community College
About the School
Macomb Community College offers a Dental Assisting program that can be completed in 16 weeks.
Students attend classes and labs at the school’s new state-of-the-art dental clinic.
Lecture sessions are available online and can be completed by students at their convenience.
Students learn the skills needed to assist dental hygienists and dentists.
Courses Offered
Students learn:
- Chairside techniques
- Dental and oral anatomy
- Infection control
- On-the-job safety
- Preparing dental impressions
- And more
The course may also function as a first step towards a dental hygienist profession for students who want to continue their training and earn a two-year degree.
Contact Information
- Address: 44575 Garfield Road, Clinton Township, MI 48038-1139
- Phone: 586.445.7999 – Local
- Website: https://www.macomb.edu
8Mott Community College
About the School
Mott Community College offers a Dental Assisting A.A.S. program that prepares students for careers as dental assistants or expanded functions dental assistants.
Graduates of this program complete the requirements that qualify students to take the Michigan State Board Examination for licensure as a Registered Dental Assistant and the National Board Examination to become Certified Dental Assistants.
The program is accredited by the Commission of Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association and the State of Michigan.
Courses Offered
The following courses are included in the program:
- Orientation to Dentistry
- Infection Control for Dental Assistants
- Dental and Oral Anatomy
- Dental Office Emergencies
- Nutrition & Preventive Dentistry
- Dental Materials
- Dental Jurisprudence
- Dental Specialties
- And more
Contact Information
- Address: 1401 E. Court St. Flint, MI 48503-2089
- Phone: (810) 762-0200
- Website: https://www.mcc.edu
9Newingham Dental Center
About the School
Newingham Dental Center prepares students for a career in the dental profession through its Dental Assisting School.
The school uses the Michigan Dental Association’s curriculum to allow students to learn the correct skills to pass the MDA’s state dental X-ray certification exam.
If they pass the exam, students are legally certified to operate and use dental X-ray equipment in the state of Michigan.
Students must successfully complete a written midterm, final, and X-ray exams.
They must also complete 30 hours of hands-on chairside clinical training and demonstrate X-ray competence.
Courses Offered
The 10-week course covers:
- Introduction to Dental Assisting
- Anatomy and Physiology
- Dental Anatomy
- Disease Transmission
- The Dental Examination
- Pain and Anxiety Control
- Restorative Materials
- Restorative Procedures
- Periodontics
- Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
- And more
Contact Information
- Address: 2425 E. Lincoln Street, Suite 110 Birmingham, MI 48009
- Phone: 248-972-8720
- Website: https://drnewingham.com
10Washtenaw Community College
About the School
Washtenaw Community College offers a Dental Assisting program that prepares students for entry-level dental assisting positions in a variety of settings.
The curriculum includes the required dental radiography courses that allow graduates to use dental radiographs in the State of Michigan.
Graduates are ready to take the Michigan State Board of Dentistry exam and become Registered Dental Assistants.
The college provides two pathways:
- Pathway I- for students with no previous dental experience
- Pathway II- an advanced standing option for the dental assistant with two or more years of experience working as a dental assistant who has passed all three portions of the Dental Assisting National Board CDA exam.
The program in dental assisting is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation.
Contact Information
- Address: 4800 E. Huron River DriveAnn Arbor, MI 48105-4800
- Phone: (734) 973-3300
- Website: https://www.wccnet.edu
Regional Salary in Michigan
| Region | Employed | Avg. Annual Salary | Avg. Hourly Pay | Top 10% Annual Salary | Bottom 10% Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ann Arbor, MI | 580 | $47,630 | $22.9 | $57,300 | $37,480 |
| Battle Creek, MI | 110 | $48,410 | $23.27 | $58,260 | $36,110 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 4,980 | $44,380 | $21.34 | $57,320 | $31,630 |
| Flint, MI | 380 | $44,370 | $21.33 | $50,650 | $35,670 |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI | 1,400 | $48,080 | $23.11 | $57,360 | $37,580 |
| Jackson, MI | 150 | $43,860 | $21.09 | $54,320 | $30,990 |
| Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | 350 | $46,050 | $22.14 | $57,000 | $35,720 |
| Lansing-East Lansing, MI | 460 | $46,160 | $22.19 | $56,610 | $36,610 |
| Midland, MI | 100 | $44,460 | $21.38 | $55,550 | $37,080 |
| Monroe, MI | 90 | $43,250 | $20.8 | $56,300 | $31,070 |
| Muskegon, MI | 130 | $44,410 | $21.35 | $54,580 | $36,120 |
| Niles-Benton Harbor, MI | 110 | $45,290 | $21.78 | $56,820 | $35,970 |
| Saginaw, MI | 180 | $43,830 | $21.07 | $48,260 | $36,160 |
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.
Final Thoughts
Michigan is home to many trade schools and community colleges that offer programs designed to prepare students for entry-level employment as dental assistants in less than a year.
Now that you have read our selection of the best training programs in this field, it’s time to continue the research and apply for the program that best meets your budget, learning style, and career aspirations.
