Get the Skills to Become a Dental Assistant

Dental Assisting Program in Rolling Meadows, IL

Do you have a passion for pearly whites? If you’re a helpful, team-oriented person with good attention to detail, consider training for a career in Dental Assisting. With the Dental Assistant Certificate program, you could complete your training and be prepared to pursue a rewarding career in only 32 weeks, including 8 weeks of hands-on externship.

Dental Assistants provide quality preventative and corrective dental care under the direct supervision of a dentist or dental hygienist. They are responsible for assisting with patient care as well as providing administrative support to the office. They also make friendly first contact, greeting incoming clients and putting them at ease.

Looking for accredited dental assistant programs near you? Come check our college out!
The best way to see if Northwest Suburban College (NWSC) is the right fit for you is to contact an admissions representative. Get more information on the Dental Assistant Certificate program, class schedules, and institutional grant options so that you can make an informed decision about your future. Get more info or Book a Tour.

Become a Qualified Dental Assistant

The Dental Assistant program at Northwest Suburban College located in the Chicago suburb provides the hands-on dental assistant training, clinical experience and industry support it takes to pursue a rewarding career in healthcare, without spending years in school.

During the Dental Assistant Certificate program, you’ll learn:

• Administrative Procedures
• Dental Sciences
• Dental Radiography
• Laboratory Procedures
• Operative Dentistry
• Orthodontics and Dental Health

And you’ll get to utlilize the knowledge and skills that you acquired in the classroom and in the lab during your externship training.

Qualified Dental Assistants are in demand in Illinois.

https://apps.illinoisworknet.com/cis/clusters/OccupationDetails/100058?parentId=110800

https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/dental-assistants.htm

Career Opportunities

Dental Assistants work in a variety of healthcare settings, including dentist offices, clinics, and other dental facilities. Their duties range from providing patient care, including taking x-rays, to record-keeping and scheduling. Many office managers and successful dental sales professionals start their healthcare careers as Dental Assistants.

Dental Assistants perform many duties as part of their overall job description, including:

• Working under the direct supervision of a practicing dentist, performing all tasks required by the dental office
• Showing knowledge of the standards of care for chairside assisting; properly using dental instruments; and in exposing, processing, and monitoring radiographs
• Displaying knowledge of disinfection, sterilization, infection control, the handling and disposing of hazardous materials, mixing techniques of laboratory materials, tray setups, and assisting in chairside restorative procedures
• Using instruments and performing the sequential procedures of orthodontic treatments

Get Real-World Experience

When the class portion of the program concludes, a 8 week Dental Assistant externship begins. The externship will be 20 hours per week and should be completed within 8 weeks after you finish the classroom portion of the program.

You will receive supervised training, working with actual patients and learning firsthand from industry professionals. During externships, our students get important dental experience and create valuable connections – some students are even considered for employment during their externship training.

Convenient Schedule

The Dental Assistant program consists of 560 hours of classroom time, and 160 hours of a clinical Dental Assistant externship.

• Daytime class hours are offered from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., Monday – Thursday

Admissions are open every month. You’ll be informed of your school acceptance within 3 days of your application. To apply, click here.

Certification – Your Pathway to Employment

Certification is important! It is your pathway to employment, acting as a bridge as you transform from being a student into becoming an employable professional.

Upon successful completion of the program, students will earn a Certificate for the Dental Assistant Program and become eligible to sit for one of several dental assistant certification examinations. Illinois currently does not require passing a basic dental assistant certification examination for employment. However, NWSC qualifies you to take entry-level and advanced function dental assistant certification examinations from either the Dental Assisting National Board (www.danb.org) or American Medical Technologists (www.americanmedtech.org).

Is a Rewarding Career in Dental Assisting Right For You? Get More Info…

If you’re interested in learning more about Dental Assisting and exploring if this is the right career path for you, fill out the form on this page to receive more information.

For immediate questions, call 847-290-6425

*Program length when completed in normal time.