Indigo Career College has created a comprehensive Dental Assisting program requiring completion of 96 clinical hours, 120 online hours. This combination of hands-on clinical learning and online education far exceed industry standards and will set you apart in the competitive dental industry.
We're confident that our program and connections in the dental community make tuition a safe investment.
To prove it, we offer the "Indigo Promise": If you don't receive a job offer or an externship opportunity
within six months of graduation, we will credit half your tuition (a maximum of a $4,000 credit).
We believe in fair tuition and provide financing options that allow all students to attend our programs. Our tuition is straightforward — there are no hidden costs or additional fees.
Tuition Includes:
We accept 6-15 students into each session of our Dental Assisting program.
Our program is competitive and not all are accepted.
At Indigo, we believe in the convenience of online learning and the value of hands-on, in-person training, which is why we teach using an accelerated "hybrid" model. You will have weekly coursework online supplemented with weekly in-person training sessions, focused on the skills you learned during the week. This model provides you with the critical repetitions you need to confidently perform your best starting day one.
Our curriculum is designed, and taught, by dental industry experts who have identified the critical skills necessary for modern dental offices. The flexible online curriculum and weekend hands-on training classes enable you to easily transition from your current job or schooling into an exciting new dental career. The in-person clinical training are held in leading local dental offices. In the end, Indigo's programs ensure that you become an effective and confident dental professional.
Dental assistants perform many tasks, ranging from providing patient care and taking x-rays to recordkeeping and scheduling appointments. Their duties vary by state and with each dental office.
Dental assistants typically do the following:
Ensure that patients are comfortable in the dental chair
Prepare patients and the work area for treatments and procedures
Sterilize dental instruments
Hand instruments to dentists during procedures
Dry patients’ mouths using suction hoses and other equipment
Instruct patients in proper oral hygiene
Process x-rays and complete lab tasks, under the direction of a dentist
Keep records of dental treatments
Schedule patient appointments
Work with patients on billing and payment
Assistants work under the direction of a dentist and perform lab tasks, such as taking impressions of a patient’s teeth, taking radiographs, practicing infection control and asepsis, performing intraoral and extraoral photography, among many other permitted duties.
Dental assistants are allowed to perform the following procedures:
Fluoride application
Topical anesthetic application
Fluoride application, in which fluoride is put directly on the teeth, is an anti-cavity measure. Some dental assistants may be qualified to apply topical anesthetic to an area of a patient’s mouth, temporarily numbing the area prior to a procedure. Each state regulates the scope of practice for dental assistants.
Work Environment
Almost all dental assistants work in dental offices. Most work full time. Dental assistants wear safety glasses, surgical masks, protective clothing, and gloves to protect themselves and patients from infectious diseases. They also must follow safety procedures to minimize risks associated with x-ray machines.