DENTL: Associate in science degree Dental Assisting
Diablo Valley College · Pleasant Hill, CA
- Cost
- $5,143
- Length
- 64 weeks
- Working 6 months later
- Not reported
Program names, program descriptions and occupation titles appear here in English, because that is the only language the federal and state records publish them in. Everything else on this page is translated.
What happened to people who took this
- People enrolled
- 11
Small group — treat with caution
- Finished the program
- 27%Based on 11 peopleTypical California program: 85% of 1,951 reportingThat median pools every California program that reported this measure, whatever its length, credential, or field, and leaves out the ones that reported nothing. It is a reference point, not a rating of this program.
- Working 6 months later
- Not reported
- Earnings in one quarter after
- Not reported
The jobs this trains for
This describes the jobs people do, not the classes this program teaches. It comes from the U.S. Department of Labor, which asks people already doing the work. The Department publishes it in English only, so the job names and the sentences below stay in English on this page.
Shrinking -2.1%
California projects this job will shrink over the next ten years. Fewer openings may mean a harder search.
Trains for more than one job. The outlook shown is the weakest of them.
No regional figures for this program's city
Pleasant Hill is not one of the metropolitan or rural areas California names when it publishes wages and openings. A neighbouring area's figures would look exactly like a correct answer, so none are shown and the statewide figures stand alone. About half of California's programs are in this position.
Dental Assistants
Job ads may call this: Dental Assistant (DA) · Oral Surgery Assistant · Expanded Dental Assistant · Surgical Dental Assistant
Some of what people in this job do. The Department rates how important each one is, and they appear in that order.
- Prepare patient, sterilize or disinfect instruments, set up instrument trays, prepare materials, or assist dentist during dental procedures.
- Record treatment information in patient records.
- Assist dentist in management of medical or dental emergencies.
- Order and monitor dental supplies and equipment inventory.
Show 2 more things this job involves
- Expose dental diagnostic x-rays.
- Provide postoperative instructions prescribed by dentist.
- Typical pay in California
- $51,379per year
- Projected openings
- 81,180
- Projected change
- +10%
- Usually needs
- Postsecondary non-degree award
Getting in
- Experience needed first
- None
- Training after you are hired
- None
No earlier job experience is expected, and new hires are not put through a long training period. For work like this, a program is usually the way in.
These are the federal government's answers for the occupation, not rules this provider sets. California publishes the same two answers for every one of these jobs.
What people in this job actually studied
Most common: Started college, no degree — 36% of the people doing this work.
California says this job usually needs: Postsecondary non-degree award. That is not one of the steps below, so there is no way to count how many people meet it.
- No high school diploma
- 3%
- High school diploma
- 27%
- Started college, no degree
- 36%
- Two-year degree
- 20%
- Four-year degree
- 11%
- Master's degree
- 1%
- Doctorate or professional degree
- 2%
This counts people already doing this job, across the whole United States. Every other figure on this page is California's, and the federal government publishes no state version of this one. It is what people happen to have, not a rule about who gets hired. A small row does not mean you would be turned away, and a large one is not a promise of a job. It is also measured on a different scale from “Usually needs” above, so the two cannot be subtracted from one another.
Dental Laboratory Technicians
Pay, hiring, and what people studied
Job ads may call this: Waxer · Ceramist · Metal Finisher · Dental Ceramist
- Read prescriptions or specifications and examine models or impressions to determine the design of dental products to be constructed.
- Test appliances for conformance to specifications and accuracy of occlusion, using articulators and micrometers.
- Fabricate, alter, or repair dental devices, such as dentures, crowns, bridges, inlays, or appliances for straightening teeth.
- Prepare metal surfaces for bonding with porcelain to create artificial teeth, using small hand tools.
Show 3 more things this job involves
- Rebuild or replace linings, wire sections, or missing teeth to repair dentures.
- Place tooth models on an apparatus that mimics bite and movement of patient's jaw to evaluate functionality of model.
- Apply porcelain paste or wax over prosthesis frameworks or setups, using brushes and spatulas.
- Typical pay in California
- $48,492per year
- Projected openings
- 5,390
- Projected change
- -2.1%
- Usually needs
- High school diploma or equivalent
Getting in
- Experience needed first
- None
- Training after you are hired
- 1 to 12 months
What people in this job actually studied
Most common: Started college, no degree — 33% of the people doing this work.
California says this job usually needs: High school diploma or equivalent. 5% of the people doing it went less far than that.
- No high school diploma
- 5%
- High school diploma
- 26%
- Started college, no degree
- 33%
- Two-year degree
- 17%
- Four-year degree
- 16%
- Master's degree
- 2%
- Doctorate or professional degree
- 0.7%
Program details
This program provides in-person instruction only.
The DVC dental assisting program is approved by the Dental Board of California and accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association. This AS program prepares individuals to provide patient care, take dental radiographs, x-ray photographs, prepare patients and equipment for dental procedures and discharge office administrative functions under the supervision of dentists and dental hygienists. Includes instruction in medical record-keeping, general office duties, reception and patient intake, scheduling, equipment maintenance and sterilization, basic radiography, pre- and post-operative patient care and instruction, chairside assisting, taking tooth and mouth impressions, and supervised practice. Note: This is a highly competitive program limited to 24 students each Fall term. Prior to August 1st, students who have successfully passed DENTL-120 and have chosen to enroll in the program must show: 1. Proof of CPR certification; 2. required immunization/titers; 3. proof of negative one-step TB test; 4. Results of physical exam; 5. Results of certified background check; 6. Results of certified drug tests and background check (reporting documents handed out during orientation meeting).
Someone else may be able to pay for this
This program was on California's Eligible Training Provider List when the state last reported it to the U.S. Department of Labor (2026-08-04). Programs on that list can be paid for through an Individual Training Account. Listings are renewed periodically and can lapse, so a program listed when the state last reported may not be listed today. Ask before you rely on it.
The place to ask is an America's Job Center of California
A comprehensive center is where all the required partner programs can be reached; an affiliate site offers some of them. California's Employment Development Department directs people to CareerOneStop's finder to locate one. Contacting a center before traveling is worth it — the state notes that its own staff are not physically present at every location.
The rule: 20 CFR 678.305 — What is a comprehensive one-stop center? · 20 CFR 678.310 — What is an affiliated site? · California EDD — Office Locator
Concord America`s Job Center of California / East Bay WorksComprehensive center
Phone: 925-671-4500
4071 Port Chicago HighwaySuite 250Concord, CA 94520about 5.1 miles away
Hours: M-F 8:30 am-5:00 pm
Has a veterans' representative
East Oakland Neighborhood Career CenterAffiliate site
Phone: 510-568-8349
7200 Bancroft AvenueSuite 140Oakland, CA 94605about 13.9 miles away
Hours: Monday - Thursday 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Friday 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
The Unity Council Career & Resource CenterAffiliate site
Phone: 510-535-6101
1900 Fruitvale AvenueOakland, CA 94601about 14.2 miles away
Hours: Monday - Friday 9:00am-5:00pm
Distances are straight-line, so the drive is longer. Call before you travel: opening hours here are as the federal directory published them, and the state notes its own staff are not present at every location.
Find a center anywhere in California, and check what is on the list today:
CareerOneStop — American Job Center Finder (U.S. DOL) · California EDD — Office Locator · California EDD — Eligible Training Provider List
How this gets paid for, and what to ask →
Whether a person can have a program paid for is decided by their local workforce development board and the America's Job Center staff who interview them — not by this site, and not by the training provider. California has 45 local workforce development areas and each sets its own policies, so the answer can differ between two people in neighboring counties. Nothing here is a promise of funding or a determination of eligibility.
The rules cited here, and the state and federal sites linked to, are published in English.
How this site gets its figures, and what they do not tell you →