10-week dental assistant course
Dental Assistant Course Schedule
The full curriculum, 2027 session dates, and what you'll earn when you finish.
What to expect
An accelerated course: ten weeks of hands-on training
The curriculum is taught by instructors who currently practice in a family dental office, so the techniques you learn are the ones used every day. You'll train in a real dental environment: proper instrument handling, patient interactions, and the clinical confidence to walk into any office and contribute from day one.
The program covers the full scope of dental assisting: chairside procedures, radiology, office management, and specialty areas. By Course 10 you'll have seen and practiced enough of the job to know what to expect when you start working.
2027 Session Dates
- Winter 2027
- January 23 – April 3
- No class February 13
- Summer 2027
- April 24 – July 10
- No class May 29 & July 3
- Fall 2027
- August 7 – October 16
- No class September 4
The curriculum
Course by course
Each week builds on the last. By the end you'll have covered the full range of what dental assistants do in a modern practice.
- 1
Course 1: Intro to Dental Assisting
Dental terminology, anatomy, and an overview of dental equipment. The foundation everything else builds on.
- 2
Course 2: Four-Handed Dentistry
Proper patient and assistant positioning. Room setup, breakdown, and instrument passing: the core choreography of chairside assisting.
- 3
Course 3: Radiology and Radiation Safety
Techniques for taking X-rays and the safety protocols that protect both you and your patients.
- 4
Course 4: Restorative Dentistry
Dental materials and the procedures they support. Fillings, composites, and the assistant's role at each step.
- 5
Course 5: Cements, Impressions, and Clinical Notes
Impression materials and trays, dental cements, and how to write accurate treatment notes.
- 6
Course 6: Oral Surgery, Implants, Periodontics, and Sedation
An overview of surgical procedures, implants, periodontal treatment, and the assistant's responsibilities during sedation cases.
- 7
Course 7: Crown and Bridge Materials, Instruments, and Temporary Crowns
Crown and bridge procedures and materials, including how to fabricate a temporary crown.
- 8
Course 8: Endodontics, Orthodontics, Bleaching, and Prosthodontics
Endodontic materials and instruments. Orthodontic procedures. Whitening materials and their application.
- 9
Course 9: Office Management
Insurance, billing, phone skills, scheduling, and interview preparation, so you're ready for the front desk as well as the back.
- 10
Course 10: Pediatric Dentistry
Pediatric dental materials, patient communication techniques for younger patients, and coronal polishing.
What you earn
Certifications included in the program
After completing the 10-week curriculum and the 80-hour externship, you'll have four certifications that dental offices expect to see.
After the 10 weeks
80-hour externship at a working dental office
Graduates move into an 80-hour externship at one of Dr. Soard's Las Vegas practices or at a partner office across the valley. This is time in a real, patient-seeing office, not a lab or simulation. You'll work alongside the team, apply what you learned in class, and get a sense of what a full-time role actually looks like.
Amber coordinates placement directly with students. If you have questions about the externship before enrolling, reach out and she'll walk you through how it works.
Email AmberExternship sites
- Green Valley Dentistry
- Sahara Family Dentistry
- Centennial Family Dentistry
- Dentistry for Families – North
- Distinctive Smiles
These are Dr. Soard's five Las Vegas practices, the core of the externship rotation. Additional partner offices across the valley also host externs. Each is an active office where students train alongside the regular team.
Ready to start your dental assisting career?
Call or text us. We're happy to answer questions before you enroll.
1306 W. Craig Rd Suite H, North Las Vegas, NV 89032
Mon–Fri 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM