You may not already know this, but, in all of the United States, Missouri offers the highest salary bands for candidates who specialize in dental assistance.
Take that into consideration along with the fact that this industry is expected to see nominal growth in the next decade and you have a career that offers stability and growth opportunities within this field and the broader field.
5 Dental Assistant Schools in Missouri
For this article, we looked at some of the schools in Missouri that offer a course in dental assistance.
Courses include certificate courses, associate degree courses, and short courses.
State Tech
This school offers a nationally recognized program through the Dental Assisting National Board that prepares students for the Certified Dental Assisting exam.
The 11-month certificate course starts each year in July and teaches students a variety of skills such as transferring instruments, taking impressions, mixing restorative materials, learning how to perform coronal polishes, providing oral hygiene instruction, as well as how to evaluate an X-ray.
Students will earn the credentials upon completion of this course:
- Nationally Certified Dental Assistant
- Missouri registered Expanded Function Dental Assistants
- Students will be Missouri certified and be able to assist in the administration of/monitor of nitrous oxide analgesia
In-state students will pay $196.00 per credit hour, while out-of-state students will pay $392.00 per credit hour.
St. Louis Community College
This school offers a certificate course in the field of dental assistance.
Students receive clinical, classroom, and laboratory instruction throughout the course.
The course places a lot of emphasis on chairside assisting procedures and gaining the required knowledge on how to perform this function properly.
Students learn how to prepare patients and their records for treatment, how to take X-rays and impressions, how to sterilize and prepare instruments to be used, as well as how to prepare restorative materials.
The course is offered at the Forest Park campus and prepares students for the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB) exam.
The total cost for in-state students is $8,241.00 while the total cost for out-of-state students is $13,236.00.
In order to qualify for this course, students must first obtain a high school diploma GED with a cumulative GPA of 2.5.
Ozarks Technical Community College
The school offers a certificate course in Dental assistance that is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA).
The total course fee for in-state students amounts to $ 15,526 while the total cost for out-of-state students amounts to $ 17,403.
There are two intakes for this course.
One in June and one in October.
On completion of the course, students are eligible for Expanded Function Permits through the Missouri Dental Board.
The course prepares students to sit for the Dental Assisting National Board Examination (DANB) in order to become a Certified Dental assistant (CDA).
Metropolitan Community College
This school offers both a degree and a certificate course.
As part of the course, students are required to sit for the Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) exam.
This course is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation.
Students are assigned the professional designation of Certified Dental Assistant upon completion of two examinations including:
- The end of fall exam: The Infection Control (ICE) and Radiation Health Safety (RHS) exam
- The end of spring exam: The General Chairside (GC) exam
The three-semester program begins every year in June and only takes in about 18 students per class.
Penn Foster
This school offers an online diploma course.
The online course is offered over four months in an accelerated format but can also be completed in seven months and it prepares students in the following areas:
- Dental terminology
- Anatomy
- Preventive dentistry
- Nutrition
- Disease transmission
- Pathology
- Dental emergencies
- Radiology
- Pharmacology
- Business administration
This course prepares students to sit for the National Entry Level Dental Assistant (NELDA) exam.
The full fee for the course is $749. There are payment options available.
Dental Assistant Schools in Missouri – Summary Table
Top 5 Schools in Missouri
| School Name | Address |
|---|---|
| State Tech | 1 Technology Dr, Linn, MO 6505 |
| St. Louis Community College | 3221 McKelvey Rd, Bridgeton, MO 63044 |
| Ozarks Technical Community College | 1001 E Chestnut Expy, Springfield, MO 65802 |
| Metropolitan Community College | 3200 Broadway Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64111 |
| Penn Foster | 14300 N Northsight Blvd #125, Scottsdale, AZ 85260 |
Salary
You can expect to earn a pretty decent salary in the state of Missouri as a dental assistant.
Starting out your career, you may expect an entry-level salary of $32,079.
Candidates who manage to work in the field and gain valuable hands-on experience may expect to earn a mid-level salary of $40,918.
Candidates who have a few years of experience under their belt may expect to earn $49,481 per year.
Annual Salary Range:Average Salary of Dental Assistants in Missouri
| City Name | Salary |
|---|---|
| Kansas City | $40,128 |
| St. Louis | $40,288 |
| Springfield | $38,659 |
| Independence | $40,085 |
| Columbia | $39,841 |
| St. Joseph | $39,774 |
| Lee's Summit | $39,976 |
| St. Charles | $40,070 |
| St. Peters | $39,983 |
| Florissant | $40,223 |
Regional Salary in Missouri
| Region | Employed | Avg. Annual Salary | Avg. Hourly Pay | Top 10% Annual Salary | Bottom 10% Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Girardeau, MO-IL | 180 | $41,870 | $20.13 | $49,960 | $32,180 |
| Columbia, MO | 220 | $44,020 | $21.16 | $54,350 | $34,250 |
| Jefferson City, MO | 160 | $42,750 | $20.55 | $50,260 | $31,290 |
| Joplin, MO | 200 | $42,480 | $20.43 | $49,070 | $34,210 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | 2,680 | $44,820 | $21.55 | $57,650 | $33,630 |
| St. Joseph, MO-KS | 140 | $45,250 | $21.76 | $53,820 | $34,830 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | 3,080 | $45,060 | $21.66 | $54,910 | $35,840 |
| Springfield, MO | 690 | $42,940 | $20.65 | $47,750 | $34,790 |
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to become a dental assistant?
You can expect to be studying for nine months, up to two years.
This level of education will depend on the practice where you will be working.
How do I become a certified dental assistant in Missouri?
There are two ways to achieve this:
- You must complete a dental assisting program accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation
- You must accrue 3,500 hours of hands-on experience
Is working as a dental assistant stressful?
Working in this field may not necessarily amount to too much emotional or psychological stress.
However, you may experience a lot of physical stress as you will be required to be on your feet for most of the day while working.
Is this a full or part-time job?
There is such a huge demand for this position at the moment that it warrants full-time employment.
Is there a lot of job satisfaction in this field?
If you are someone that loves dentistry and helping people or working with children, then you may be very fulfilled in this position.
