Dental Assisting

The Dental Assisting program consists of 1095 hours of instruction (58 quarter credit hours). Both the Day and Evening sessions require ten months (40 weeks) for completion on the basis of approximately 25 hours of instruction per week. The terms of the program are independent, thus the sequence in which they are offered to students may vary.

This program is taught in a Blended format (didactic/lecture material on-line and hands-on skills on-campus). As part of their materials, students receive a device which is fully compatible with the Learning Management System (LMS) used in the distance learning portion of courses.

This program intensively covers both the administrative and clinical functions performed by dental assistants. Students will develop an understanding of oral anatomy, hygiene care and diseases of the oral cavity, dental radiology, charting and record keeping, infection control, nutrition, and chairside dental procedures. Emphasis is placed on day-to-day clinical skills along with safety, ethics and practice management. The final term of the program includes an externship course. During 280 hours of externship students practice their skills in a dental office, clinic or other dental facility.

The Dental Assisting classrooms and labs are equipped with the same kinds of equipment and technology currently in use in dental offices and clinics today. Students will gain experience and knowledge working with dental units complete with evacuation systems, analog and digital radiographs; dental lab materials including Triad machine, lathe and model trimmer; oxygen tank, blood pressure equipment, face shields, amalgamator, light cure, a wide range of dental materials and instruments, autoclave and computer workstations with Eaglesoft dental software. Student will need to provide their own safety glasses. The learning environment is enhanced through a variety of anatomical charts, models, skulls, and adult and child mannequin heads. The maximum number of students being taught in an on campus classroom or lab is sixteen; the maximum number of students in an on-line class is fifty.

The program prepares students and graduates to take some of the (optional) certification exams offered by the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB).

The radiology and infection control certifications are credentials many employers look for. Students may sit for the DANB Radiation Health and Safety exam and the Infection Control exam any time after completing the appropriate coursework - and the cost of the exams is covered as part of your education at PCI.

This Radiology and Infection Control certificates can be applied toward the Certified Dental Assisting (CDA) exam, as can the General Chairside Assisting exam. PCI graduates who wish to sit for the General Chairside Assisting exam may do so after working 3500 hours in the field (approximately 2 years).

If you really like helping others and want to be part of a dental team, here’s why you should get your Dental Assisting training at Porter and Chester Institute:

Blended Learning Opportunities. In an effort to create a more flexible learning environment, the program is offered in a Hybrid format, with lecture online and hands-on labs on campus. This “blended learning” delivery method allows you to learn information online, at your convenience, and then put those corresponding skills into practice on-campus in the lab. Students choose Days or Evenings for their lab schedule.

Hands-on Training. The Dental Assisting labs feature the same equipment and technology you find in dental office and clinics. You learn how to assist dentists in a dental operatory, take radiographs, mix dental materials, exercise proper infection control and sterilization, use model trimmers, take vital signs, and provide patient education. As part of the in-class training, you also work with Dentrix dental software. The lab environment uses mannequin heads to foster a real-life environment.

Dental Assisting Externships. The final term of the Dental Assisting program is an externship course where you complete 335 hours of an unpaid externship. Apply what you learn in the program to a dental office, clinic, or other facility settings.

Prepare for Dental Assisting Certification Exams. The Dental Assisting program prepares you for certification exams from the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB.) You will have the background to take these optional exams any time after completing the corresponding coursework. Your tuition costs cover the cost of these exams.

Job Outlook. Dental assistants play pivotal roles in dental offices and other settings. As such, there is often demand for skilled and trained professionals. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 56,400 openings for dental assistants are projected each year, on average, over the decade. This number is expected to grow by 8% through 2031, a rate that is faster than average.

Prior to enrollment at the Institute, an applicant must have graduated from high school or have acquired a state high school equivalency diploma or graduated from a college degree program. Instruction is only offered in English, requiring proficiency in written and spoken English.

Applications for admission are accepted throughout the year. Students may begin classes in the Spring, Summer, Fall or Winter. Students are encouraged to make early application for admission, as some forms of financial aid give preference to early applicants; and whenever aid is limited, it is made available to the first applicants.

Students will need approximately 25 hours per week for on-line instruction, activities and simulations and for on-campus lab work, with an additional five hours per week for reading assignments and other homework activities. Campus lab hours are 9-1 and 6-10. Students taking either day or evening labs need to plan on 2-3 lab sessions per week, based on course needs, and an occasional Saturday lab from 8-2. Lab schedules will be distributed to students prior to the start of each term. Course materials, assignments, and homework are accessible in an asynchronous format 24 hours a day/ 7 days a week through the Learning Management System (LMS).

In conjunction with this on-line learning, students also attend classes residentially to complete the hands-on portion of the course. Students participate in group discussions and interact with their classmates and instructor in both the online classroom and the residential lab environment.

Students must successfully complete all courses prior to Externship. Students should be aware that some Externship sites will require background checks, drug tests and/or updated immunizations, including COVID, all of which would be the student’s financial responsibility. Externship sites are generally within a sixty (60) mile radius of campus.

Classes in Blended Dental Assisting and Medical Assisting Program meet Monday-Thursday from 9:00 AM-1:00 PM or 6:00 PM-10:00 PM. Medical Assisting and Dental Assisting are typically scheduled over four (4) hours per day Monday-Wednesday, and students attend additional class online on Thursdays (9:00 AM-3:30 PM) for a total of 24 hours per week.

Upcoming class starts published in the catalog's Program and Term Schedule are January 11, 2027; March 22, 2027; May 31, 2027; August 16, 2027; October 25, 2027; January 17, 2028; and March 27, 2028. If, in the opinion of the Institute, there is insufficient enrollment to make the class start of a program session or section feasible, the Institute reserves the right to cancel that class.

Tuition is $5,144 per term for 4 terms, for total tuition of $20,576. The Materials Fee is $2,420. Program fee by term: Term 1: $2,250; Terms 2–3 ($50 per term): $100; Term 4: $70.

Program fees may include materials, laboratory, technology, and graduation expenses. These fees are applied at various points throughout the student’s training, depending on the specific requirements of the program. All applicable fees are disclosed in the student’s Enrollment Agreement and are included as part of the overall cost of attendance. The Materials Fee covers all books, devices, tools, instruments, uniforms, supplies, and other materials that the students will receive from PCI during the course of their attendance in their program. Even if costs increase, students will never pay more than the fee specified in their Enrollment Agreement.

There are no additional charges for programs delivered via Distance Education (Hybrid or fully Online). After deducting all anticipated educational funding from the total charges for each term, any balance due to the Institute must be paid by the student out-of-pocket prior to the start of each term. Or, the student may request a monthly payment plan. The first payment on a monthly payment plan is due prior to the start of the first term.

Financial aid is available for those who qualify. Federal Title IV programs available to qualified students include Federal Direct Subsidized Loans, Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans, Federal Direct PLUS Loans, Federal Pell Grants and the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG). PCI also participates in the Imagine America scholarship program and offers institutional grants and awards to specific student populations.

Veterans’ Benefits are not currently available for this program. All Porter and Chester Institute campuses are approved to train veterans and their qualified dependents who are eligible for Veterans Administration educational benefits.

FAFSA code: 010779 (all PCI campuses other than Hamden). Use the Porter and Chester Institute Net Price Calculator to estimate how much your total career training program will cost you.

Cost of Attendance (COA). For federal student aid purposes, postsecondary institutions must estimate a student’s total cost of attending the institution for a specified period of time, as established by law. The COA includes tuition and fees; room and board (or an allowance for housing and food); an allowance for books, supplies, transportation, loan fees, and dependent care (if applicable); disability related expenses, and some miscellaneous expenses as well. Below is Porter and Chester’s estimate of a student’s cost of attendance, including estimated living expenses.

• Tuition and Fees: Actual (student living with parents); Actual (student with dependents)
• Books and Equipment: Included in the Student Services Fee (student living with parents); Included in the Student Services Fee (student with dependents)
• Room and Board: $906/month (student living with parents); $1576/month (student with dependents)
• Personal Expenses: $231/month (student living with parents); $353/month (student with dependents)
• Transportation: $348/month (student living with parents); $348/month (student with dependents)
• Loan Fees (other): $25/month (student living with parents); $25/month (student with dependents)
• Disability Costs: Actual (student living with parents); Actual (student with dependents)

Graduates of the Dental Assisting program will have sufficient knowledge and skills for entry-level employment as a dental assistant in dental offices, clinics, hospitals, laboratories or public health departments.

Licensing and certification. PCI students are able to sit for the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB) Infection Control exam and the DANB Radiation Health and Safety exam as part of their program. CT: Dental Assistants who have not yet passed the (DANB) Infection Control exam must take and pass it within nine months from the start of their employment.

Graduation and employment rates. From the 2025 ACCSC annual report, for the 1/2023-12/2023 start cohort at this campus, Dental Assisting reported a graduation rate of 56% and an employment rate of 77% (starting population 39, graduate population 22).

How these rates are calculated. Porter and Chester Institute calculates a Graduation Rate and an Employment Rate for each program using formulas specified by our accrediting agency, the Accrediting Commission for Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC). The graduation rate formula uses a cohort of students who began school during a given 12 month reporting period as the denominator, and as the numerator uses the number of students from that group who graduated within 150% of the program length. The employment rate formula uses a cohort of students who began school during a given 12 month reporting period and proceeded to graduate as the denominator. Those of the cohort whose self-reported employment in their field of training, or a related field has been verified by the school, form the numerator. The rate is calculated for the cohort after 150% of the program length has elapsed for all students in the cohort, with an additional three month allowance for placement related activities.

Graduation rate for the student body. The graduation rate for first-time full-time students who began their studies at Porter Chester Institute in Fall 2019 (310 students) and graduated within 150% of their program length (178 students) is 57.4%.

Where graduates work. Bridgeport campus graduates are working at employers such as CT Braces, Dr. Dental, Downtown Dental.

The Bridgeport campus consists of approximately 25,000 square feet of space. All classrooms are air - conditioned, brightly illuminated and tiled or carpeted. There is about 150,000 square feet of parking space on the premises. Each curriculum division operates its own reference library which contains appropriate resource materials and multimedia. All student workstations are equipped with the same kinds of tools, equipment, and instrumentation in current use by advanced industrial and commercial firms.

Students attending distance education courses in either a hybrid or fully online program may receive their online, didactic instruction from faculty assigned to various campuses and may be in online classes with students from other campuses. Weekly lesson planning among faculty ensures that all students in hybrid courses receive online didactic instruction that aligns with their on campus, hands-on labs and that each student is adequately supported.

Each term, each campus holds a mandatory online or on-campus New Student Orientation, specifically for the incoming student body. Key staff are on hand to share important information.