Length
12 Months (1230 Clock Hours) 

Schedule
Classroom (1st, 2nd and 3rd Grading Periods): Monday - Friday  8 am-2 pm 
Clinicals (4th and 5th Grading Periods): Monday - Friday 8 am-3 pm 

(Summer hours ) Monday- Thursday 8 am - 2:45 pm
(Summer hours ) Clinicals Monday- Thursday 8 am - 4:00 pm

This program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Education (CODA) an agency of the American Dental Association (ADA).

Program Requirements

• Physical examination/immunizations
• Criminal background check 
• Random drug screenings

PLEASE NOTE
Students entering all health programs with a clinical study requirement must submit to a criminal background check and random drug screenings at their own expense.

If problems arise with the results of either the criminal background check or the drug screening, students will not be permitted to attend the clinical portion of the program which then results in program non-completion. 

A history of felony convictions or substance abuse may adversely affect your ability to gain employment or take licensing exams in the medical profession. We encourage you to consider your personal history when making appropriate career choices. 

2024-2025 Curriculum Frameworks

Program Description
Students are trained in subject areas such as dental terminology, ethics and jurisprudence, pharmacology and anesthesia, dental anatomy and physiology, dental laboratory procedures and equipment, instruments and materials, dental radiography, aseptic techniques, preventive dentistry, dental chairside assisting and expanded functions, and office management.

Practical on-site clinical experience is one of the program's many strengths. Several thousand patients are treated in the dental clinic yearly. These conditions allow students to experience most every conceivable situation in the school clinic that occurs in the private dental office.

Completers who achieve a "C" or better cumulative GPA and pass all courses will receive an Erwin Technical College Certificate, an Expanded Functions Certificate for Dental Assistants, and a Dental Radiographer Certificate.

Employment/Career Opportunities
This program prepares students for employment in all phases of the dental office; patient management, laboratory procedures and chairside assistance.

Salaries
Salaries for graduates range from $13.97-$19.90 per hour.
Source: Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation, Labor Market Statistics

How can I learn more about this career field?
Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics and Occupational Outlook Handbook