Trade Schools
According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage reported by Texas dental assistants was $41,690 as of May 2023.
Dental assisting is a recession-proof profession that is expected to continue to grow in the future.
Employment for this profession is projected to grow 8 percent by 2033, resulting in 54,900 new job openings across the United States.
Before being ready to apply for your first job in this profession, you have to learn to perform the tasks that will be included in your job description, tasks such as:
- Preparing patients and work areas for procedures
- Sterilizing dental instruments
- Instructing patients on proper oral hygiene
- Processing x-rays
- Handing instruments to dentists during procedures
- Scheduling patient appointments
- And more
Texas is home to many trade schools and community colleges that can prepare you for a career in this profession in less than one year.
Below, we have compiled information about ten of the best options.
1Southwest University
About the School
Southwest University offers an Associate of Applied Science in Dental Assisting.
This 14-month program was designed to meet the demands of the continuously evolving healthcare market.
The purpose of this program is to provide students with the skills and knowledge to perform efficiently in an entry-level position as a chairside assistant in a dental office.
Students acquire knowledge in a range of tasks, including:
- Facilitating dental procedures: how to effectively provide instruments and supplies to dentists
- Laboratory procedures
- Patient education: students learn how to educate patients in proper oral hygiene techniques
Courses Offered
This program includes skills such as:
- Passing instruments and supplies to the dentist
- Preparing dental charts
- Appointment scheduling
- Laboratory procedures
- Maintenance of patient records
- Instructing patients in proper oral hygiene
Contact Information
- Address: 1414 Geronimo Dr, El Paso, TX 79925
- Phone: (915)778-4001
- Website: https://southwestuniversity.edu
2Texas Academy of Dental Assisting
About the School
Texas Academy of Dental Assisting offers accelerated career training in a real dental office with dental professionals.
Available are morning and evening classes, enabling students to work around job and family commitments.
Students train in a state-of-the-art facility.
They also become CPR-certified as part of their training.
Classes are taught by instructors who have real-world experience.
The course is approved by the Texas Workforce Commission.
Graduates receive a Certificate of Completion upon graduation from the program.
The course can be completed in 12 weeks.
Lectures take place every Monday night online from 6 to 9 p.m.
Clinical training takes place once a week, either on Tuesday or Thursday evenings from 6-9 p.m. or on Wednesday or Friday mornings from 9 to 12 noon.
Courses Offered
The course outline includes:
- Four-handed dental assisting
- Dental terminology
- Primary and permanent tooth numbering
- Crown and Bridge, making temporaries, cement removal
- Taking and pouring up impressions and model trimming
- Oral anatomy
- Cosmetic dentistry
- And more
Contact Information
- Address: 4255 Bryant Irvin Rd Ste 112, Fort Worth, TX 76109
- Phone: 817-835-6469
- Website: https://dentalassistantfortworth.com
3Dental Assisting School of Texas
About the School
Dental Assisting School of Texas has schools located in Boerne, Texas.
The school offers a Dental Assisting course that consists of 13 weeks of lectures and labs, plus an internship with a practicing office.
Class sizes are kept small to allow students to receive individualized attention.
Students participate in unique hands-on experiences that prepare them for real-world scenarios.
The school provides a professional and structured learning environment.
Graduates are equipped with the skills needed to get a job after graduation.
Contact Information
- Address: 128 W Bandera Rd #2, Boerne, TX 78006
- Phone: (210) 339-2289
- Website: https://dentalassistantschooltexas.com
4Texas Dental Assisting Academy
About the School
Texas Dental Assisting Academy offers extensive training to prepare students for dental assisting.
Students are ready to join the workforce immediately after completing the 13-week program.
The program includes 78 hours of lecture and lab plus a 56-hour dental assistant internship with a practicing dentist.
Texas Dental Assisting Academy is approved and regulated by the State of Texas Educational Approval Board and Texas Workforce Commission Career Schools and Colleges.
Courses Offered
Students take classes on:
- Introduction to the Profession and Ethical & Legal Issues
- Dental Radiography and Human Dentition
- Oral Pathology & Immune System
- Dental Materials and Pediatric Dentistry
- Orthodontics and Periodontics
- Oral Surgery and Medical Emergencies
- And more
Students also learn how to complete clinical procedures such as dental charting, x-ray techniques, instrument recognition, four-handed dentistry, and dental impressions.
Contact Information
- Address: 6206 Old Seguin Rd, San Antonio, TX 78244
- Phone: (888) 833-3433
- Website: https://www.dentalassistantsanantonio.com
5Aspire Dental Assisting School
About the School
Aspire Dental Assisting School helps students start a new career in dentistry.
Students get real-world experience chair-side from day one and can complete the program in as few as 10 weeks.
After completing the program, students are ready to assist chairside with the dentist, sterilize equipment and instruments, complete lab work, expose, develop and mount X-rays, assist the dental hygienist, schedule dental appointments, and help in many other areas of the dental office environment.
The program includes a one-week externship that allows each student to practice in another dental office in the DFW area.
The school is a fully operating dental practice and has an extensive network of dentists and dental specialists where graduates may find employment.
This program costs $5,195 if paid in cash and $5,595 if paid by credit card.
The cost includes tuition and registration fees.
Tuition includes a textbook, a set of dental scrubs, a workbook, a CPR training and completion card, a CD-ROM, visual training aids, lab supplies, classroom supplies, infection control supplies, and teeth whitening.
Contact Information
- Address: 9409 Garland Rd. Suite 105, Dallas, TX 75218
- Phone: (972) 357-3057
- Website: https://aspiredentalassistant.com
6Houston Dental Assistant School
About the School
Houston Dental Assistant School offers a ten-week Registered Dental Assistant Program.
The program pairs online lectures with hands-on lab practicals to teach students everything they need to know for entry-level employment.
Affordable tuition payment plans are available to help students graduate without the burden of debt.
The Dental Assistant program features 80 hours of total class time made up of an easy-to-follow curriculum that includes in-person, hands-on lab practicals.
The practical training part takes place on Saturdays.
The on-demand online lecture series are taught by the school’s instructors.
Tuition cost for this program is $3,850.
Contact Information
- Address: 17240 Mill Forest Rd # B, Webster, TX 77598
- Phone: (281) 363-0600
- Website: https://www.hdas.biz
7Pure Dental Assistant Academy
Pure Dental Assistant Academy offers a dental assisting program that can be completed in seven weeks.
The program consists of 136 hours of lecture and hands-on clinical training.
Courses Offered
The program covers the following courses:
- Sterilization and Infection Control
- Personal Protective Equipment
- Moisture Control
- Dental Anatomy
- Dental Radiology
- Jurisprudence
- Charting
- Four-Handed Assisting Techniques
- Anesthesia/Nitrous Oxide Monitoring
- Restorative Techniques
- Proper Oral Hygiene
- And more
The academy also offers an internal 40-hour externship program to eligible students.
Contact Information
- Address: 3626 N Macarthur, Suite 140, Irving, TX 75062
- Phone: (866) 388-7873
- Website: https://www.puredentalacademy.com
8Dental Assisting School of Kyle
About the School
Dental Assisting School of Kyle helps students begin a new career in just 13 weeks.
The program prepares students for entry-level dental assisting and front desk positions.
The school has helped students reach their dreams since 2017.
The program costs $4,140 and includes:
- Tuition
- Administration
- Registration
- Books/Supplies
The program is approved by the Texas Workforce Commission.
Applicants need:
- A high school diploma or GED
- An up-to-date immunization record for Hepatitis B Vaccine
- A government-issued ID
Contact Information
- Address: 4650 S FM 1626, Suite 104, Kyle, TX 78640
- Phone: (512)256-8020
- Website: https://www.dentalcareerschoolkyle.com
9Waco Dental Assistant School
About the School
Waco Dental Assistant School provides a dental assistant course that is 12 weeks long.
The hybrid course has helped students start a new career in the dental field at a fraction of the cost of other schools.
The school provides affordable tuition and flexible payment plans to help students graduate debt-free.
The comprehensive hybrid learning program at Waco Dental Assistant The program includes in-person labs at a local office once a week, paired with at-home learning through self-paced online lectures during the week.
Each week students attend a 4.5-hour class dedicated to helping students learn and perfect their lab skills in a real dental office in Waco.
The curriculum is taught by passionate and knowledgeable school instructors.
Each week consists of a combination of pre-recorded lectures, online learning activities, and hands-on skills training.
Lectures, online modules, and activities are completed by students during the week at their own pace.
These assignments are due weekly.
Tuition for this program is $4,690 if paid in full.
Contact Information
- Address: 4000 Bellmead Dr, Waco, TX 76705
- Phone: (254) 232-5979
- Website: https://dentalassistantschoolwaco.com
10Advanced Dental Assistant School
About the School
Advanced Dental Assistant School offers a dental assistant program that can be completed in 15 weeks.
Classes take place from 4 to 8 p.m. twice per week.
The program consists of 95% hands-on experience.
Tuition for this program is $4,500.
Students get hands-on practice learning a variety of skills, including the basics of composite fillings and using plastic to treat cavities and tooth damage.
Courses Offered
The program also includes:
- Impressions
- Denture Adjustments
- Amalgams
- Composites
- Root Canal/Buildup/Crowns
- Making Temporary Crowns
- Heavy Body Impressions
- Sealants
- Polishing
- And more
Contact Information
- Address: 103 Willis Ave. Naples, TX. 75468
- Phone: 903-897-1622
- Website: https://www.advanceddentalassistantschool.com
Regional Salary in Texas
| Region | Employed | Avg. Annual Salary | Avg. Hourly Pay | Top 10% Annual Salary | Bottom 10% Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abilene, TX | 210 | $38,900 | $18.7 | $45,600 | $28,320 |
| Amarillo, TX | 310 | $39,990 | $19.23 | $46,650 | $29,190 |
| Austin-Round Rock, TX | 3,370 | $47,810 | $22.99 | $60,090 | $35,820 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | 350 | $39,410 | $18.95 | $47,570 | $29,430 |
| Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | 330 | $36,240 | $17.42 | $44,840 | $26,880 |
| College Station-Bryan, TX | 350 | $39,180 | $18.84 | $46,600 | $28,850 |
| Corpus Christi, TX | 430 | $39,330 | $18.91 | $47,440 | $28,990 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 10,350 | $45,440 | $21.85 | $58,960 | $31,190 |
| El Paso, TX | 880 | $35,260 | $16.95 | $44,440 | $26,930 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 8,230 | $38,500 | $18.51 | $49,560 | $29,830 |
| Killeen-Temple, TX | 440 | $40,400 | $19.42 | $47,800 | $28,940 |
| Laredo, TX | 180 | $35,660 | $17.14 | $44,770 | $26,260 |
| Longview, TX | 230 | $36,670 | $17.63 | $45,710 | $28,560 |
| Lubbock, TX | 400 | $37,830 | $18.19 | $45,690 | $28,590 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | 680 | $35,770 | $17.2 | $47,230 | $27,830 |
| Midland, TX | 190 | $42,160 | $20.27 | $50,370 | $31,070 |
| Odessa, TX | 140 | $42,380 | $20.37 | $51,850 | $29,430 |
| San Angelo, TX | 110 | $37,170 | $17.87 | $45,010 | $28,490 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 3,330 | $42,280 | $20.33 | $48,560 | $32,700 |
| Sherman-Denison, TX | 300 | $38,970 | $18.74 | $47,160 | $25,970 |
| Texarkana, TX-AR | 140 | $37,090 | $17.83 | $46,040 | $28,170 |
| Tyler, TX | 370 | $40,810 | $19.62 | $48,700 | $28,740 |
| Victoria, TX | 80 | $40,650 | $19.54 | $57,220 | $29,100 |
| Waco, TX | 260 | $38,460 | $18.49 | $46,400 | $28,770 |
| Wichita Falls, TX | 120 | $37,840 | $18.19 | $45,740 | $28,290 |
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.
Final Thoughts
Our list of the best dental assistant schools in Texas included a combination of online, in-person, and hybrid classes.
Now that you have read our selection, it’s up to you to decide what format and what program best meets your lifestyle and career aspirations.
