Dental Assistant (DEN)

Dental assistants play an essential role in helping dental practices provide safe, efficient and compassionate patient care. They support dentists during procedures, prepare treatment rooms, assist with patient education, perform laboratory tasks and help keep dental offices running smoothly.

Program objective. Our Dental Assistant Certificate Program provides you with the foundation needed to complete your Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) or Registered Dental Assistant (RDA), depending on state requirements, and begin your career as an effective entry-level dental assistant.

The program covers essential clinical and administrative skills. You will learn everything from chairside assisting and dental x-rays to patient communication and office procedures, preparing you to confidently support dentists and serve patients from your very first day on the job. In as few as nine months, you can be on your way to a hands-on career supporting patients and dentists in a growing area of health care.

Core skills you’ll develop.

• Clinical: Chairside assisting, instrument identification and transfer, dental anatomy and terminology, infection prevention and control, dental impressions and laboratory procedures, patient preparation and oral health education
• Administrative: Dental office procedures, appointment scheduling, dental charting, electronic dental records, insurance documentation, billing support and inventory management
• Professional: Communication with patients, team collaboration, professional ethics, time management, workplace readiness and customer service
• Radiography: Dental radiography theory and clinical application

Continuing your education. Interested in continuing your education? At Pima Medical Institute, we offer a Dental Hygiene associate degree * so you can advance your career in dentistry.

We also offer additional healthcare leadership programs, including the online associate degree in Health Care Administration , Bachelor of Science in Health Care Administration and Master of Science in Organizational Leadership.

*Dental Hygiene is not available at all campuses

About Pima Medical Institute. Pima Medical Institute started changing lives in 1972, when Richard L. Luebke, Sr., and his wife, JoAnn, opened the first campus in Tucson, Arizona. Over 175,000 graduates have since advanced their education, and many are serving their communities through meaningful health care careers. The school’s mission is to improve the quality of people’s lives by providing the best value in medical career education.

Eligibility requirements.

• Possess a high school diploma or recognized equivalency
• Additional requirements may apply by campus

High school verification. Proof of valid high school completion or equivalent must be submitted (high school diploma or transcript, GED report and certificate, or an official associate or bachelor’s degree transcript). Pima Medical Institute does not enroll ability-to-benefit students, and applicants under the legal age must have written approval of a parent or legal guardian.

Entrance exams. Applicants for non-degree programs are required to take the Wonderlic SLE and receive a minimum score of 14. The exam may be waived for applicants who submit official transcripts that document completion of an associate degree or higher.

Background check, drug testing and vaccinations. Depending on the program, a background check and/or drug screening may be required prior to enrollment, during the program, and/or prior to externship/clinical training; the cost of the background check/drug screen is an out-of-pocket expense. The cost of required vaccinations and titers is also an out-of-pocket expense, and students are required to follow all clinical experience vaccination requests and policies.

At a glance. Course length: 9 Months (approximate); Class hours: 280-284; Lab hours: 200-336; Externship hours: 180-240. Hybrid education options not available at all campuses. Hours vary by location.

Chula Vista and San Marcos campuses. The 2026 tuition price list shows 32 semester credits and 820 clock hours over 35 weeks, including 4 externship credits (200 hours).

Hybrid learning options. All courses are taught on campus to ensure you get the hands-on clinical experience this program requires. For students who need more flexibility in their schedules, hybrid learning options are available at select campuses, combining in-person instruction two days a week with online learning three days a week. Externship hours are completed fully in person.

• Certification: This program prepares students who plan to take dental x-rays to apply to sit for a certification through the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB).*
• Find out more: Entry-level roles
• Career advancement: Dental product sales, insurance claims processing and dental assistant educator

El Paso campus students prepare for the Texas Registered Dental Assistant (TX RDA) exam, while California campus graduates prepare for the California Registered Dental Assistant license exam. Certification and state registration requirements vary.

Careers. The Dental Assistant certificate program prepares students to apply for roles including:

• Dental assistants
• Orthodontic assistant
• Oral surgery assistant
• Surgical dental assistant

And other related career opportunities, including:

• Working as a dental product sales representative
• Processing dental claims for insurance companies
• Educating future dental assistants

These careers may exist in a variety of health care environments, like general dental practices, pediatric dental offices, orthodontic practices, oral surgery offices, periodontal practices, endodontic practices, prosthodontic practices, public health clinics and specialty dental practices.

Job outlook. 6% Growth — The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects this occupation to grow faster than average over the next 10 years, with a median pay of $47,300 per year. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Dental Assistants, at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/dental-assistants.htm (visited July 26, 2026).

Career Services. When you’re a Pima Medical Institute student, you get access to our Career Services team—here for you when you need extra help with finding the right job opportunities, building a resume, strengthening your interview skills or just looking for general guidance.

Clinical externships. At Pima Medical Institute, most programs allow students to work in their field through clinical externships—a chance to be mentored by full-time professionals and interface with real patients.

In addition to real-world experience, clinical externships offer students resume-worthy opportunities, letters of recommendation from supervisors and sometimes job placement directly after graduation.

Student Services. Our team of student service professionals are on hand to see students through the challenges they might face during their academic career. We offer guidance and resources to ultimately help build employable medical professionals.

Application process.

• Submit the form below. A few quick details so we can get to know you before we connect.
• Chat with our team. They'll ask about your goals, your background, and what's drawing you to healthcare. From there, they'll help you find the right program and campus for where you are in life right now.
• Attend your campus tour. Experience Pima Medical in person and picture yourself in a career that matters. We'll walk you through programs and what to expect.
• We help you complete your application. Our team guides you through every step, including enrollment and financial services, so nothing stands between you and getting started.