Dental Assisting

Registered Dental Assistants (RDAs) make great hygienists. If you’re interested in continuing your education to become a Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH), you get more points in the application process if you have worked as an RDA. College of the Redwoods offers the pre-requisites that allow you to work in the field as you go to school.

Dental Assistant students participate in a wide variety of hands-on activities, and begin providing actual patient care in October with licensed dentists at the Dental Health Center located on the Eureka campus. 

Additionally, during the spring semester students have the opportunity to participate in an internship in a private practice, specialty practices, or in a federal/state clinic. Students are expected to wear a uniform daily and develop specialized skills necessary to be an employable chairside assistant in a professional setting. 

All students will be trained for both front desk and back office, and for general dentistry periodontics, orthodontics, endodontics, and oral surgery.

Assisting in the following types of dental practices:

• General/Clinic
• Periodontic
• Orthodontic
• Endodontic
• Oral surgery
• Prosthodontic
• Pediatric

Our Dental Assisting Program is the only nationally accredited and state approved community college program north of Santa Rosa and Sacramento. Graduates of the two-semester program qualify to take the Dental Board of California examination for state licensure as a Registered Dental Assistant (RDA) and the Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) examination offered through the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB), which means upon successful completion, you’ll be qualified to work as a dental assistant anywhere!

In addition to applying for the College, students must also apply and be accepted into the Dental Assisting Program. Applications are open from February 1st – August 1^st each year and the program begins each fall, requiring full-time students to be enrolled both fall and spring semesters.  The program fills up early and acceptance is “first come, first served”. Apply early!

For more information regarding course sequences and curriculum refer to the current Catalog under “Degrees and Certificates”.

View Program Application 

Uniforms, textbooks, and a lab kit with dental specific supplies are required.  Students accepted in the Dental Assisting Program will pay registration fees, as well as an extra $2,200 for the required items.  Students should prepare for a total cost of $4,000 for the Dental Assisting Program.

Additionally, licensure and certification exam fees and travel to the exam sites are not included in this figure.  More information will be provided upon acceptance into the program. 

Graduates’ success provides economic vitality to our local community. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Dental Assisting has a projected job growth of 8% (2023-2033) faster than the average for all occupations. 

College of the Redwoods Registered Dental Assistant Program provides accessible, innovative, and relevant career readiness in-person instruction to prepare students for high-quality living wage jobs. Student success and opportunity is supported through the continual improvement processes and national and State accreditation standards.  Additionally, community-based learning experiences and creating workforce community connections through internships lead to high job market demand. Preparing graduates for employable skills, duties, and functions as allowed by the Dental Board of California Dental Practice Act leads to high pass rates on the Registered Dental Assistant (RDA) licensure examination offered through the Dental Board of California and the Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) certification through the Dental Assisting National Board supporting career advancement and economic development in the healthcare pathways of the Redwood Coast region.

1. Ensuring student success by maintaining sustainable enrollment and retention rates, while improving completion rates above the District average promoting academic achievement and career readiness.
2. Safeguarding Program quality and compliance through assessment and evidence-based processes to strengthen Program outcomes and fully meet the Commission on Dental Accreditation Standards and Dental Board of California requirements.
3. Supporting student success by maintaining a high employment rate and preparing graduates for entry-level living-wage jobs through partnerships and training that meet the needs of the local, technology-advanced dental workforce.
4. Equipping graduate success by meeting licensure and certification requirements by achieving high pass rates on standardized examinations administered by the Dental Board of California (DBC) and the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB), strengthening career readiness and supporting high employment rates for graduates.

Students will be able to do the following upon successful completion of the Program:

1. Assimilate learned theory and foundational knowledge when demonstrating self-sufficiency and competence in proper technique in essential dental assisting skills, permitted duties, and advanced functions as allowable by the California Practice Act.
2. Demonstrate employable qualities and ethical aspects such as consistent quality control, safe practices, time optimization, and sound judgment, when completing proficiencies in infection control, dental radiography, patient care management, and basic front office duties in the oral health care setting.
3. Communicate using proper vocabulary and terminology with the ability to follow verbal and written directives when working independently or with a team in patient care with patients, peers, and professionals. Consistently demonstrating pre-operative and post-operative directives during scheduled procedures.
4. Completing at the minimum 300 clinical hours and 900 program hours in the ten-month program to qualify for Registered Dental Assistant (RDA) licensure examination and to meet Dental Board of California requirements and Commission on Dental Accreditation standards for graduation.