Program Details PageDental Assistant Certificate, AAS, and AAS-T

Welcome to the Program Page dedicated to the Dental Assistant Certificate, AAS, AAS-T program! This page is designed to give an overview of what the quarter will look like based on the starting point in the year. Click on one of the desired tabs below to view the course schedule.

Please contact your adviser for more information regarding the classes. To see which materials are needed for your courses, click this bookstore link (Links to an external site.) and enter the information for each class.

Effective Winter Quarter 2025, RTC will no longer participate in the voluntary CODA accreditation process.

The current cohort Fall 2024 cohort has currently moved to a “teach-out” phase which will be complete in December 2025. The program will remain in full compliance with all CODA accreditation standards until that time. Successful students will be eligible to take the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB) Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) examination(s).

The next enrollment period is for the Fall 2025 start. Please contact advising@rtc.edu.

The future entry points for the dental assistant program are in Fall 2025 & Winter 2026.

General Overview

When can I start? Fall 2025 (September) or Winter 2026 (January).

How long is the program?

5 quarters (13 months) and 80 credits for the certificate
6 quarters (16 months) and 90 credits for the AAS degree
6 quarters (16 months) and 95 credits for the AAS-T degree

When do classes meet? Early morning to early afternoons with variances during clinical internships

Are summer classes required? Yes - you will have one required summer quarter.

This program prepares you for employment as a Certified Dental Assistant (CDA). CDAs work in dental offices performing such tasks as four-handed dentistry, bookkeeping, x-rays, sterilization, infection control, and expanded functions. RTC's Dental Assistant program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA), a division of the American Dental Association.

You can learn more about the DENT program in our $25 class CCP 045 Bridge to Allied Health and Human Services.

What does a dental assistant do?

What is the average salary?

$51,250 annually in the Seattle-Bellevue-Tacoma area. Most dental assistants in King County earn at least $37,180.

Who can I contact with questions?

New students, please visit our Zoom lobby (Links to an external site.) to talk with someone by video chat, or e-mail our advising department.
For current students, please visit RTC's advising page (Links to an external site and look for the faculty counselor assigned to Dental Assistant.

Overall Materials Needed:

Access to a functioning laptop or computer (you may use computers on the RTC campus)
Working internet connection
Pen and paper
Personal health insurance (required start of quarter 1)
Malpractice and general liability insurance ($14.62)
CastleBranch account (RR67), including a national criminal background check ($106)
Physical exam and immunizations
Textbooks ($510)
Clinic and lab supplies ($755)
Safety and personal protective equipment ($240)
Uniform ($250)
ADAA (American Dental Assistants Association) membership ($35)
Department of Health RDA credential ($40)

A complete supply list will be e-mailed to you after you are admitted to the Dental Assistant program.

All DENT courses must be completed with 2.7 or higher. COL 101, Composition, and General Education for the degree require a minimum GPA of 2.0 for graduation.

Materials Warning

Some materials on this page are listed as TBD, which means that the materials have yet to be determined. Please consult your instructor on what textbooks or materials are required for the class. If you rent a textbook, make sure you return it by the deadline. If you purchase a textbook, you can sell it back to the RTC bookstore -- but make sure that you won't need the book again for classes in the future!

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Fall 2025

Quarter 1

[Fall] Quarter 1 Course Information
**Approximate Tuition and Fees: $2,069** (add $156 if you take AMATH 190 instead of DENT 161)
**Description:** You earn your first aid / CPR certification, learn about roles in the dental office. You also examine state laws and ethical expectations for healthcare professionals. This quarter has four core classes and one English class.
You may be interested in our Bridge to College Composition support class for COMP 100!
***If you plan to earn the AAS-T transfer degree, you should take ENGL& 101.***
Take AMATH 190 instead of DENT 161 if you need a prerequisite for your AAS-T transfer math class.
Learn more about English and math placement options.
Course ID	Course Name	Materials	Credits
COL 101	College Success	NO	2
DENT 100	First Aid, CPR & Vital Signs	YES	3
DENT 101	Dental Profession	YES	3
DENT 161 or AMATH 190	Mathematics or Financial Algebra	NO	3 or 5
COMP 100 or ENGL& 101	Applied Composition or English Composition (required for AAS-T degree)	NO	5

Quarter 2

[Winter] Quarter 2 Course Information
**Approximate Tuition and Fees: $3,008** including dental exam and dosimeter badge fees
**Description**: You learn an amazing range of skills this quarter, with lots of hands-on time in the dental clinic: setting up and maintaining patient charts, preparing dental instruments tray, practicing sterilization and disinfection techniques and dental instrument preparation, taking x-rays, identifying head and neck anatomy, and communicating effectively. This quarter has six core program classes.
Course ID	Course Name	Materials
DENT 102	Pre-Clinical Assisting I	YES	5
DENT 104	Dental Materials I	YES	2
DENT 133	Infection Control & Microbiology	no new books	5
DENT 141	Dental Sciences I	no new books	3
DENT 153	Radiology I	YES	3
DENT 171	Interpersonal Communications	no new books	2

Quarter 3

[Spring] Quarter 3 Course Information
**Approximate Tuition and Fees: $2,675** including a dental exam fee
**Description**: You continue to build your assisting skills: learning dental office software, mixing dental fillings and compounds, identifying advanced oral anatomy, understanding dental hygiene, and taking different x-rays. This quarter has seven core program classes.
**Notes: You must pass DENT 102 before taking DENT 112; DENT 104 before taking DENT 114; and DENT 153 before taking DENT 154.**
Course ID	Course Name	Materials	Credits
DENT 112	Pre-Clinical Assisting II	no new books	3
DENT 114	Dental Materials II	no new books	3
DENT 134	Specialties	no new books	3
DENT 138	Business Administration	YES	2
DENT 145	Dental Sciences II	no new books	3
DENT 151	Preventive Dentistry & Nutrition	no new books	2
DENT 154	Radiology II	no new books	2

Quarter 4

[Summer] Quarter 4 Course Information
**Approximate Tuition and Fees: $1,887** including a clinical placement fee
**Description**: You work with a clinic dentist, using all of the skills you have learned so far, and observe professionals in their offices. You learn about expanded functions (sealants, polish, fluoride, anesthesia). This quarter has three core program classes.
**Notes: You must pass DENT 102 and DENT 112 before taking DENT 103. You also must pass DENT 154 before taking DENT 155.**
Course ID	Course Name	Materials	Credits
DENT 103	Clinical Assisting I	no new books	6
DENT 105	Expanded Functions	no new books	3
DENT 155	Radiology III	no new books	3

Quarter 5

[Fall] Quarter 5 Course Information
**Approximate Tuition: $2,448** including dental exam and clinical placement fees
**Description**: You learn to make dental molds and casts and create nightguards, study for your national licensing exam, and prepare your job application materials. This quarter has five core program classes including both of your internships.

**It's time to apply for your certificate of completion!**
Course ID	Course Name	Materials	Credits
DENT 137	Laboratory Procedures	no new books	2
DENT 157	DANB Exam Prep	no new books	2
DENT 191	Job Seeking Skills	no new books	1
DENT 192	Internship I	NO	4
DENT 193	Internship II	NO	5

Certificate of Completion Estimated Total: $14,000 plus the cost of immunizations and health insurance

Quarter 6 for the AAS Degree

[Winter] Quarter 6 Course Information for the AAS degree
*Approximate Tuition and Fees: $1,436*
**Description:** In this optional sixth quarter, you need to take two general education classes: social science and any General Education elective. Recommendations are listed below.

**It's time to apply for your AAS degree!**
Course ID	Course Name	Materials	Credits
PSYC& 100 or ANTH& 235	General Psychology or Cross-Cultural Medicine (both recommended) or other social science	varies by class	5
NUTR& 101	Human Nutrition (recommended) or any General Education class	varies by class	5

AAS Degree Estimated Total: $15,436 plus the cost of immunizations and health insurance

Quarter 6 for the AAS-T Degree

[Winter] Quarter 6 Course Information for the AAS-T degree
*Approximate Tuition and Fees: $1,841*
**Description:** In this optional sixth quarter, you need to take three general education classes: social science, transfer mathematics, and any General Education elective. Recommendations are listed below.

It's time to apply for your AAS-T degree
Course ID	Course Name	Materials	Credits
PSYC& 100 or ANTH& 235	General Psychology or Cross-Cultural Medicine (both recommended) or other social science	varies by class	5
NUTR& 101	Human Nutrition (recommended) or any General Education class	varies by class	5
MATH& 107 or MATH& 146	Math in Society or Introduction to Statistics	YES	5

AAS-T Degree Estimated Total: $15,841 plus the cost of immunizations and health insurance

Continue your education! You can choose from applied bachelor programs in healthcare.

Fall 2024

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