Dental Assisting
Chemeketa offers the training you need to enter this rewarding career.
topics Health Sciences
Skills & InterestHelping People
CareersHealth Sciences
Why choose Dental Assisting?
Chemeketa's Dental Assisting program prepares graduates to sit for their national Certified Dental Assistant exam. Chemeketa offers the training you need to enter this rewarding field. Our program is accredited by the American Dental Association Commission on Accreditation and is partnered with Oregon Institute of Technology (OIT) to provide a Bachelor's degree option in Dental Hygiene.
What will you learn?
Our experienced faculty will teach you the skills to meet our program outcomes –
- Perform basic and expanded chairside functions to facilitate the completion of restorative and advanced operative procedures
- Manipulate dental materials to support chairside and laboratory procedures
- Perform basic office procedures necessary to assist in managing a dental practice
- Demonstrate proficiency in exposing, processing and mounting dental radiographic images
- Practice professional behaviors as applied to the workplace environment
- Manage asepsis, infection control and hazard control protocol to promote a safe work environment
What will you do?
Dental assistants perform tasks in a dental office ranging from patient care to record keeping. Their duties vary by state and by the dentists’ offices where they work.
The Dental Assisting program prepares you to –
- Help patients feel comfortable with upcoming treatments and procedures
- Prepare the work area and instruments for patient treatment
- Assist dentists during procedures
- Instruct patients in proper dental hygiene
- Process x-rays and do lab tasks under the direction of a dentist
- Keep patient records of dental treatments
Program Goals
The program goals are for each student to –
- Successfully complete the program
- Obtain his/her professional credentials
- Find satisfying employment in dentistry
Here is more information about a career in dental assisting.
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COSTS
Once admitted to the program and prior to starting fall term, the following approximate expenses must be paid –
- Immunizations/TB tests - $150
- CPR class - $80
- Criminal Background Check and Drug Screen - $115
- Uniform and shoes - $350 (due at August orientation)
See the total estimated cost list. The fees for the program are subject to change.
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Program Application
Apply now for the Fall 2023 Dental Assisting Program.
Applications will be accepts until June 2, 2023. Please visit the "Apply Now" section to review/submit the Dental Assisting Application.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding submitting your application, please contact the Health Sciences office at 503.399.5058.
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Student Handbook
Review our student handbook to get useful information about the program and being a student at Chemeketa.
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Student Success Rates
Dental Assisting Student Success Rates: 2018-19 2019-20 2021-2022 2022-2023 2023-2024 Student Success Rates Number of Enrolled 36 24 36 35 Number of Graduates 27 27 26 32 DANB Pass Rate, first attempt 20 -
CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK & DRUG TESTING
Upon entry into the program, you will be required to pass a criminal background check and pass a ten-panel drug screening urinalysis conducted by a college approved vendor. If you do not pass the criminal background check and/or the drug screening, program registration will not be possible.
If you are arrested during the time you're enrolled in the program, you must notify the Dental Assisting Program Chair of the arrest. Your status in the program will be reviewed by the Dental Assisting Program Chair and the Dean of Health Sciences. A possible outcome of the review may be your inability to continue in the program.
For a list of disqualifying crimes, please see Disqualifying Crimes (short list) . For a more in-depth list please see Disqualifying Crimes Expanded List
For more information, please call 503.399.5058.
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Dental Assisting Program Accreditation Notice
AMERICAN DENTAL ASSOCIATION COMMISSION ON ACCREDITATION
ACCREDITATION SITE VISIT NOTICE
Posted: Aug 26, 2025 1:50pm
In compliance with the American Dental Association Commission on Accreditation policy on Third Party Comments, this notice is to inform all interested parties that the Chemeketa Community College Dental Assisting Program is scheduled for their site visit on October 28-29, 2025. Third-party comments relative to the Commission’s accredited programs may include comments submitted by interested parties such as faculty, students, program administrators, dental-related organizations, patients and consumers. Interested parties should submit comments to the Commission using the following guidelines:
- All comments relative to the programs being visited are due in the Commission office no later than sixty (60) days prior to each program’s site visit to allow time for the program to respond.
- Comments may be signed or unsigned. Names and/or signatures will be removed from comments prior to forwarding them to the program.
- Comments must pertain only to the standards for the particular program or policies and procedures used in the Commission’s accreditation process. Comments will be screened by Commission staff for relevancy.
- A copy of the accreditation standards and/or the Commission’s policy on third-party comments may be obtained by contacting the Commission at 1-800-232-6108 or by email.
- For those individuals who are interested in submitting comments, requests may be made to the Commission office.
For comments not relevant to these issues, the individual will be notified that the comment is not relat4ed to accreditation and, where appropriate, referred to the appropriate agency. July 7, 2025