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Dental Assisting

Dental assistants greatly increase the efficiency of the dentist in the delivery of quality oral health care and are valuable members of the dental care team.

Are you interested in our Dental Assisting Degree Program?

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Degree Description

Graduates of the diploma program will be highly trained dental assisting students who have the skills required to be competent members of a dental healthcare team, deliver quality dental healthcare to the public, and have the knowledge necessary to become a Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) in the state of South Dakota. Dental assisting tasks include providing direct patient care, assisting during a variety of dental procedures, obtaining medical/dental histories, vital signs, dental radiographs, and impressions for dental models, teaching patients appropriate oral hygiene strategies, applying preventive agents, placing pit and fissure sealants, developing, coordinating, and serving as an infection control officer, and performing office management tasks.

The Dental Assisting program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation. The Commission is a specialized accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education. The Commission on Dental Accreditation can be contacted at (312) 440-4653 or at 211 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611. The Commission’s web address is: https://coda.ada.org/en.

The Dental Assisting program is approved by the South Dakota Board of Dentistry. If you plan to practice outside of South Dakota, you are encouraged to check with the state licensing and certification requirements.

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Application Process

To gain acceptance into the WDT Dental Assisting program, applicants must:

1. Complete WDTC application online at www.wdt.edu
2. Submit high school transcript or GED scores.
3. Submit immunization records verifying two doses of MMR vaccinations.
4. Submit official college transcripts if you have previously attended a post-secondary institution.
5.  Schedule an Admissions Advising Session (can be completed on campus or by phone).
6.  Complete the ACCUPLACER test ($15.00 fee). Call 605-718-2565 to schedule an appointment.

The ACCUPLACER test will be waived if you have an ACT sub-score of 18 or better in English, Math, and Reading.  To waive the ACCUPLACER with SAT scores a student will need a 500 on the MATH subsection of ACT and a composite of 970 to waive Writing and Reading. To place into MATH 114 a student will need a 520 on the MATH subsection.  

To continue into Dental Assisting clinical, students must submit the following to:

Western Dakota Technical College
Attn: Dental Assisting Instructor
800 Mickelson Dr.
Rapid City, SD 57703

1. Provide a copy of current American Heart Association Healthcare Provider AHA-CPR certification*
2. Provide a copy of immunization records (Hepatitis B Series, TB test, COVID-19)*

*Students are responsible for additional costs.

The program lead instructor will assist students with any clinical or internship site requirements.

Note: 

If you are or have been convicted, pleaded guilty or no contest to, or received a suspended imposition of sentence for a felony or certain misdemeanors, you are advised that you may not be able to complete all course requirements for your chosen program, you may be prevented from taking required certification/licensure examinations in your chosen program field, and you may be prevented from gaining employment in your program field.

Students that sit out for a spring or fall semester or longer, will return under a new Catalog and may be required to repeat courses or successfully complete new or revised skills or competency assessments. Before readmittance, the program may need to determine if a student is eligible to continue in technical courses. Program sequencing and cohort size may prevent enrollment in technical courses.

Clinicals, practicums, and internships may include, but are not limited to, differential shifts (evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays) to meet industry expectations. This may require travel outside the Rapid City Area.

The Dental Assisting program is approved by the South Dakota Board of Dentistry. Students are encouraged to check with the state licensing and certification requirements they plan to practice, if it is outside out South Dakota.

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Career Description

The dental assistant may work in a private or group practice setting specializing in general dentistry, oral surgery, orthodontics, endodontics, periodontics, prosthodontics, or pedodontics. Dental sales and marketing of products is another career opportunity for the dental assistant. If you have strong communication skills, enjoy working with your hands as well as your mind, and want a career with responsibility, dental assisting is for you.


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Licensure and Certification

Professional licensure and certification requirements often vary from state to state. If you are not planning to locate and work in South Dakota and are considering an academic program that leads to a professional license or certification, it is highly recommended that you first seek guidance from the appropriate licensing agency in the state you plan to work before beginning the academic program. If you need assistance locating a state licensing agency, please contact the Vice President for Teaching and Learning: Tiffany.Howe@wdt.edu or 605.718.2905.

Current as of June 3, 2022:

  1. The program curriculum meets educational requirements for licensure/certification in the following states: AL, AZ, CO, ID, MO, NC, ND, NY, SD, VT, WA, WY
  2. The program curriculum does not meet educational requirements for licensure/certification in the following states: AR, CA, CT, DE, FL, KY, MD, ME, MN, MT, NH, NJ, NM, OH, OK, OR, RI, VA
  3. WDT has not determined whether the program curriculum meets educational requirements for licensure/certification in the following states: AK, American Samoa, DC, Guam, GA, HI, IA, IL, IN, KS, LA, MA, The Republic of the Marshall Islands, MI, The Federated States of Micronesia, MS, NE, The Commonwealth of Northern Marianas Island, NV, PA, The Republic of Palau, The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, SC, TN, TX, The Virgin Islands, UT, WI, WV 

Virtual Tour Dental Assisting Lab

Take the Virtual Tour Now Next, schedule an on-campus tour and receive a FREE WDTC T-Shirt when you arrive.


General Education EMT

After Earning Your Degree

In any given day, dental assistants can be found in the lab, office area, or treatment area. Assistants are trusted with patient information and medical records, taking and developing dental radiographs (x-rays), taking impressions of patients' teeth and teaching patients appropriate oral hygiene strategies to maintain oral health.  In addition the dental assistant performs office management tasks that often require the use of a personal computer. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in May 2022, the average wage in western South Dakota was $43,170.

Meet Your Faculty

Western Dakota Technical College has a low student-to-faculty ratio, meaning more one-on-one learning. Individual attention from your professor can make your college experience more fulfilling.


  • Chanin Hartnett

  • Rachael Burchell

Financial Aid

Continuing your education is crucial and Western Dakota Technical College wants to make sure that any student who wants to attend school, has the opportunity to do so. For this reason, WDTC is dedicated to administering the U.S. Department of Education’s Title IV Financial Assistance Program fair and consistently to anyone who needs it.

Build Dakota Scholarships

The Build Dakota Scholarship at Western Dakota Technical College will pay all your tuition and fees and prepare you for a career that is in-demand and growing in South Dakota. Build Dakota Scholarships will be awarded to students entering high-need workforce programs at South Dakota’s technical institutes to fill the state’s technical careers with skilled professionals.


Student Housing

Finding affordable housing during school can be a challenge for students. Western Dakota Technical College currently does not have on-campus housing, but partners with a Rapid City VRBO to offer a limited number of apartments for full-time students in the fall and spring semesters.


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Child Care

Finding child care during school is a challenge for many students. Western Dakota Technical College currently does not offer on-campus child care, but here are some resources that may help you in your search.

Youth & Family Services is an organization dedicated to helping children in Western South Dakota. They offer a variety of services, including child care at multiple locations.

The Y of Rapid City offers child care and other services.

Disclaimer: Western Dakota Technical College provides these links to you only as a convenience, and the inclusion of any link does not imply affiliation, endorsement or adoption by Western Dakota Technical College of any site or any information contained therein. When you leave wdt.edu, you should be aware that our terms and policies no longer govern. Western Dakota Technical College makes no claim or representation regarding, and accepts no responsibility for, the quality, content, nature or reliability of third-party websites or vendors.

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