Montana Dental Assistant Schools and Salary Guide

Becoming a dental assistant in Montana gives you the opportunity to enter dentistry without spending six to eight years in school.

On the other hand, you can use your DA experience to someday serve as a licensed dentist after completing the necessary training.

Licensing Requirements to Become a Dental Assistant in Montana

You can operate as a Dental Auxiliary in Montana if you have received training from a school approved by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA).

Otherwise, you’d have to either undergo training directly from a licensed dentist or complete coursework that the Montana Board of Dentistry approves.

This position puts you in a career where you would perform duties that you can train for in less than a year, such as scheduling appointments or preparing an instrument tray for a dentist.

Before you take X-rays on patients or operate any type of radiographic imaging machine, you must earn a Radiation Health and Safety (RHS) certificate.

In addition, you should already have obtained your Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) credential before performing X-rays.

It is also necessary for all states, including Montana, to earn the Infection Control (ICE) certificate, so keep that in mind when looking for a school.

5 Dental Assistant Schools in Montana

Great Falls College (Montana State University)

Great Falls offers an 11-month Dental Assistant certificate program.

You may need to complete some college prerequisites before you enroll in this coursework. Contact admissions or academic advising for more information about that.

You will receive training that meets CODA standards.

In addition, this instruction enables DANB exam readiness.

This starts with background information about how the head, neck, teeth, and mouth work.

Then, you will receive classroom training and hands-on practice in preventative dentistry, radiology, and disease prevention.

Salish Kootenai College

Salish offers a Dental Assisting Endorsement program.

It is only 23 credits.

If you decide to take 12 credits per semester, you could finish it in about a year.

Courses you would take include introductions to chairside assisting dental anatomy preventive dentistry and radiology.

The instruction you receive would be divided into lectures and lab time.

300 lab hours are required before you receive this program’s Certificate Of Completion.

Ask the school or get information from the dentists you are studying under about state-required certification exams.

Charter College in Missoula

Charter College in western Montana offers a blended curriculum that accommodates managing families, work, and other obligations.

Here you will participate in both on-campus and online learning, and you receive the necessary hands-on experience.

Before you graduate from this certificate program, you will complete 180 externship hours at a local dentist’s office or clinic.

You will learn lab clinical and chairside assisting techniques.

Mandatory infection control and radiology (X-ray) certification training also are included.

Bozeman Dental Assisting School

You can complete the Bozeman dental assisting hands-on training within about 12 weeks.

They offer a flexible scheduling and payment plan that aligns with your budget and priorities.

It focuses on the registered dental assistant (RDA), requirements.

This training closely resembles the DANB CDA certification training protocol.

You will have to clarify with Bozeman what classes you should take to qualify for the CDA.

Either way, you will receive help with finding a job, which you have an excellent chance of accomplishing before you graduate.

What is more, your training would include mandatory certification topics such as infection control or radiology training.

Your in-person clinical time will happen under the supervision of a licensed Montana dentist.

Bitterroot College (University of Montana)

This might provide you with the most feasible way to obtain the necessary dental assistant certifications within the Montana University System.

Bitterroot college has a workforce training program that does not require college admission.

This Bitterroot Dental Assisting coursework will prepare you for your RHS CDA and Infection Control (ICE) exams.

They also have training that makes you proficient in chairside assisting.

If you want, you could also complete the General Chairside (GC) exam also offered by DANB after completing this training.

Dental Assistant Schools in Montana – Summary Table

Salary

A 2022 salary update reveals that a Montana dental assistant can make an average yearly salary of $39,993.

Annual earnings in the state usually range from $32,810 to $41,047.

You could increase your earnings to more than $44,738 if you continue your education and gain additional experience.

Look for jobs in Billings, Belgrade, Bozeman, Great Falls, or Missoula.

Regional Salary in Montana