The Dental Assistant program at the American College of Healthcare and Technology (ACHT) available in Riverside & Santa Ana, California trains students for a career working in a dental office.

You think every scrub-wearing worker in the dentist’s office is either a dentist or dental hygienist. Some of them are, but some of the other professionals performing integral tasks in running the office and facilitating care are actually Dental Assistants. Working as a Dental Assistant is an excellent launching pad to becoming a dental hygienist or dentist.The licensing and training are slightly different for each of those positions, but the experience a Dental Assistant receives while working with patients, learning safety procedures and navigating the logistics of a dental office could be particularly beneficial for advancing in the dentistry field.

As the large baby-boom population ages, and as people keep more of their original teeth than did previous generations, the need to maintain and treat teeth will continue to increase the need for dental care which will increase the need for Dental Assistants.

Additionally, the Dental Assistant Program prepares students for the requirements necessary to earn a California Radiation Safety Certificate (limited to dental x-ray). Students practice techniques and procedures in a spacious and modern dental laboratory to gain proficiency in those competencies. In addition, equipment, materials, and instruments comparable to those used in an actual dental facility are used in our classrooms. Students will be introduced to all phases of dentistry, including diagnostic and procedural terminology, as well as clinical, radiographic, and preventive dentistry procedures, and will receive an eight-hour Infection Control certificate and a two-hour Dental Practice Act certificate.