The Northeast Wisconsin Technical College offers an associate degree in Dental Assistance. According to the Educational Portal website, many individuals will begin their dental careers by obtaining an associate degree. Once the degree is earned, they can start a bachelor degree and gain experience in a dental office. The program at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College focuses on practical skills that will be needed when working and assisting in a dental office. The program is certified by the American Dental Association. Some individuals will pursue a career as a dental assistant while others will advance their education further at a larger university.
Marquette University has a large dental school that offers graduate as well as doctoral degrees in dentistry. The graduate level work allows an individual to choose a select specialty, including general dentistry, dental biomaterials, endodontics, orthodontics, and prothsodontics. Each year, five students are given the opportunity to obtain a master or doctorate degree in conjunction with their D.D.S. degree. The dental school assists them in pursuing additional coursework, including psychology, education, public service, and business administration.
Fox Valley Technical College offers accelerated degree programs for working adults. The college has a 36-week dental assistant program that is divided over the course of two semesters. Once an individual graduates from the program, he will be ready to take the certification exam that is administered by the Dental Assisting National Board. When an individual becomes a certified dental assistant, he will be able to work in a dental office to begin gaining on-the-job experience while pursuing further education in the dental field. Credits that are obtained at the technical college can be transferred to a larger school in order to pursue an advanced dental degree.
The Madison Area Technical College offers a one-year program in order for an individual to become a certified dental assistant. The program teaches chair-side assistance, dental radiography, and laboratory techniques. Students receive their training and education on campus in addition to working at local dentist offices prior to graduation. Once an individual obtains the dental assistant certification, she will be prepared to pursue a career in the dental field. Additional degrees can be acquired following the dental assistant certification in order to become a dentist.