Penn Foster's dental assistant program is broken down into nine "instruction sets" that take students from an introduction to dentistry through tips for obtaining a job and an optional job placement. Once students enroll and receive an ID number, course materials can be downloaded through Penn Foster's website. The dental assistant program has no definite time frame for completion, but after each lesson, students must pass an exam before moving to the next level. The school is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools and the Distance Education and Training Council.
Penn Foster Career School
800-275-4410
pennfoster.edu/dental/index.html
Students can earn a Bachelor of Science online through the University of Bridgeport's Fones School of Dental Hygiene. To be accepted into the program, students must already have an associate's degree in dental hygiene. The two-year degree program includes a mix of major-related and general studies courses. Students are required to perform a one-semester internship in dental hygiene.
Fones School of Dental Hygiene, University of Bridgeport
800-470-7307
bridgeport.edu/pages/3243.asp
The five-step introduction to dental assistant program at the U.S. Career Institute can be completed in as few as four months. Once enrolled, students receive course materials through the mail and complete the work on their own schedule. The courses range from a basic welcome to dentistry overview to more complex instruction in law and ethics, periodontics and prosthodontics. The program finishes with a real-world practicum where students are required to work in a dental office.
U.S. Career Institute
866-250-6851
uscareerinstitute.com/dentalassistant.asp