Trade Schools
If you’re a compassionate person and you want to prepare for a rewarding career in a dental office, the dental assistant profession is worth exploring.
According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean annual wage earned by dental assistants in North Dakota was $54,010- higher than the national average for this profession.
Before being ready to apply for your first job in the field, you have to learn how to complete tasks such as:
- Providing direct patient care
- Greeting patients and scheduling appointments
- Assisting dentists during a variety of dental procedures
- Obtaining vital signs, dental radiographs, and impressions for dental models
- Teaching patients appropriate oral hygiene strategies
- And more
Some programs combine self-paced online training with hands-on experiences to allow students to keep a full-time job while preparing for a new career.
To help you choose the program and the format that best meets your learning style and career aspirations, on this page, we have compiled information about the best dental assistant schools in the state of North Dakota.
1University of North Dakota
The University of North Dakota offers an online Clinical Dental Assisting program.
This fully online course helps students gain the technical skills they need to join a dental office as a clinical dental assistant.
Students prepare, through interactive courses, for the Radiation Health and Safety and Infection Control components of the Certified Dental Assistant Exam.
Courses Offered
The curriculum includes the following topics:
- Overview of the Dental Profession
- Dental Health and Disease
- Anatomy and Physiology
- Basics of Dental Assisting
- Radiology
- Dental Materials
- Dental Office Management
- And more
Contact Information
- Address: O’Kelly Hall Room 300, 221 Centennial Dr Stop 9021, Grand Forks, ND 58202-9021
- Phone: 701.777.0488
- Website: https://und.edu
2Dakota College at Bottineau
Dakota College at Bottineau offers a Dental Assisting program that prepares students to become skilled members of the dental healthcare team.
The ten-month 45-credit certificate program includes lectures, supervised labs, and clinics, as well as more than 300 hours of clinical affiliation experiences in dental practices.
Students may also choose a 64-credit Associate of Applied Science degree program, which will take up to two academic years to complete.
The program in dental assisting is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation.
Courses Offered
The following courses are available at the college:
- Concepts of Anatomy and Physiology
- Dental Anatomy
- Dental Radiology
- Dental Ethics & Jurisprudence
- Dental Specialties
- And more
Contact Information
- Address: 105 Simrall BLVD – Bottineau, ND 58318
- Phone: 701-228-2277
- Website: https://www.dakotacollege.edu
3North Dakota State College of Science
North Dakota State College of Science offers a Dental Assisting & Hygiene program.
The program has the following degree options: an Associate in Applied Science degree and a Certificate.
Courses Offered
The Certificate program includes courses on:
- Office Practice and Management
- Oral Anatomy for the Dental Assistant
- Clinical Training
- Dental Materials for the Dental Assistant
- Biodental Science
- Introduction to Psychology
- Concepts of Anatomy and Physiology
- And more
The certificate requires 41 credits in total.
Contact Information
- Address: 800 6th St. N. Wahpeton, ND 58076
- Phone: 800-342-4325
- Website: https://www.ndscs.edu
4Western Dakota Technical College
Western Dakota Technical College offers a Dental Assisting program that leads to a diploma.
The program prepares highly trained dental assisting students with the skills to become competent members of a dental healthcare team.
Graduates are ready for the Certified Dental Assistant credential in the state of South Dakota.
The tasks students prepare for include:
- Providing direct patient care
- Assisting dentists during a variety of dental procedures
- Obtaining medical/dental histories, vital signs, dental radiographs, and impressions for dental models
- Teaching patients appropriate oral hygiene strategies
- And more
Courses Offered
The curriculum includes:
- Dental Sciences and Oral Health
- Chairside Dental Assisting Lab I
- Dental Practice Management
- Dental Materials
- Dental Radiology
- Chairside Dental Assisting Lab II
- And more
Contact Information
- Address: 800 Mickelson Dr, Rapid City SD 57703
- Phone: (800) 544-8765
- Website: https://www.wdt.edu
5Dakota County Technical College
Dental Assisting programs are also available online, at schools located in other states.
One such school is Dakota County Technical College.
The college offers a variety of degrees and programs available in day, evening, weekend, and online formats.
Short-term programs can be completed in as little as six weeks.
Courses Offered
The Dental Assistant program at Dakota County Technical College offers the following degree options:
- Dental Assistant- Associate in Applied Science Degree- a 60-credit program available online and on campus
- Dental Assistant- Diploma- a 40-credit program available online and on campus.
The Dental Assistant program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association.
Dental assisting students take classes such as:
- Dental Science
- Pre-Clinical Dental Assisting
- Dental Health
- Dental Materials
- Chairside Assisting
- Dental Practice Management
- And more
Contact Information
- Address: 1300 145th Street East, Rosemount, MN 55068
- Phone: 651-423-8000
- Website: https://www.dctc.edu
6Mid-Plains Community College
Mid-Plains Community College offers an 11-month diploma program in dental assisting.
Students also have the option of completing an Associate in Applied Science degree.
This program aims to prepare graduates to aid the dentist at the chair side during examinations and treatment of patients.
They also learn how to perform supportive laboratory and business office procedures.
Graduates meet all requirements for the practice of dental assisting.
Students become x-ray certified and coronal polishing certified in the state of Nebraska and are prepared to sit for the national certification exam offered by the Dental Assisting National Board exam.
Applicants need an official high school transcript or GED.
Courses Offered
The program has the following objectives:
- Perform tasks related to entry-level dental assisting employment
- Use effective communication skills
- Apply the theory of dental assisting to specific jobs
- Use mathematical data and reasoning skills in relation to dental assisting
- Be prepared to take external certification exams
- And more
Contact Information
- Address:1205 East Third St. McCook, NE 69001
- Phone: 308-345-8100
- Website: https://www.mpcc.edu
7Northwest Technical College
About the School
Northwest Technical College offers a Dental Assisting program that prepares students with the skills needed to enter the dental profession as a chair-side clinician.
Students learn the skills for assisting with a variety of clinical functions, laboratory tasks, and business office responsibilities.
Students prepare to perform procedures such as exposing radiographs, placing pit and fissure sealants, taking impressions, and managing patient records.
The Dental Assisting program at NTC is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association.
The following credential paths are available:
- Diploma- Dental Assisting- a 45-credit program
- Associate in Applied Science- Dental Assisting
Courses Offered
The curriculum includes:
- First Aid/CPR
- Infection Control
- Biomaterials
- Biodental Science
- Dental Anatomy
- Clinical Assisting
- Dental Practice Management
- Clinical Affiliation
- And more
Contact Information
- Address:905 Grant Avenue SE,Bemidji, MN 56601-4907
- Phone: (218) 333-6600
- Website: https://www.ntcmn.edu
8Bismarck State College
About the School
Bismarck State College is North Dakota’s Polytechnic Institution.
The college offers a variety of health sciences programs for students who are passionate about patient care or health technology.
The education is hands-on to prepare students for a career in high-demand healthcare fields.
The college offers a Dental Assisting program that is available on campus.
Bismarck State College is approved by the North Dakota State Board of Higher Education to offer Dental Assisting training.
According to the college’s website, this is a significant step forward toward full accreditation.
Contact Information
- Address: 1500 Edwards Avenue, Bismarck, ND 58506
- Phone: 701.224.5400
- Website: https://bismarckstate.edu
9U.S. Career Institute
U.S. Career Institute offers an online Dental Assistant program that allows students to study any time, any place.
The program takes between five and ten months to complete.
Tuition for this program is $1,239 if paid in full.
The Dental Assistant program is designed to prepare students for the nationally recognized Registered Dental Assistant exam administered by the American Medical Technologists.
Courses Offered
Students take courses on:
- Preventative Dentistry and Nutrition
- Dental Equipment and Instruments
- Dental Examinations
- Front Office Procedures
- Dental Anatomy and Terminology
- Dental Pain Management
- Dental Insurance
- Radiology
- And more
Contact Information
- Address: 2001 Lowe Street, Fort Collins, CO 80525
- Phone: 866-250-6851
- Website: https://www.uscareerinstitute.edu
10Remington College
Remington College offers a diploma program in Dental Assisting.
This program can be completed in eight months and offers students the opportunity to train in real dental practice.
The program includes eight modules and covers an array of topics like oral anatomy, oral radiology, and other specific dental procedures and topics.
Courses Offered
The program includes classes on:
- Basic Body Systems and Functions
- Orientation to Dental Assisting
- Chairside Assisting
- Oral Anatomy and Radiology
- Dental Office Emergencies
- Dental Science and Materials
Students earn a dental assisting certification.
Contact Information
- Address: 4520 S. Sherwood Forest Blvd. Baton Rouge, LA 70816
- Phone: 800-208-1950
- Website: https://www.remingtoncollege.edu
Regional Salary in North Dakota
| Region | Employed | Avg. Annual Salary | Avg. Hourly Pay | Top 10% Annual Salary | Bottom 10% Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bismarck, ND | 190 | $56,500 | $27.16 | $67,470 | $44,500 |
| Fargo, ND-MN | 330 | $53,150 | $25.55 | $61,640 | $45,280 |
| Grand Forks, ND-MN | 100 | $53,580 | $25.76 | $61,140 | $39,280 |
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.
Final Thoughts
North Dakota provides aspiring dental assistants with plenty of career training programs that can prepare them for entry-level employment in only a few months.
Now that you have read our selection of the best dental assistant schools in the state of North Dakota it’s time to continue the research and choose the program that best meets your career aspiration and learning style.
