Is This Program for You?

Caring, organized, and compassionate individuals who work well in a team health care setting may find a rewarding career as a dental assistant. If you're interested in a career that focuses on helping people and offers plenty of variety in the workday, dental assisting is a great choice for you.

Students entering the Dental Assistant program should:

• Have ninth grade reading skills, basic math skills, and good verbal communication skills.
• Be Employable
• Desire to work with people.
• Desire to work as a team member.

Program Basics

• One Semester technical diploma
• This 16-week program includes 12 weeks of classroom and laboratory learning activities, followed by a 4-week externship in a dental clinic.
• Classes run full-time Monday through Friday for 12 weeks.
• The 4-week externship hours are based upon the dental clinic hours as assigned.
• Must earn at least a grade of C in all classroom/laboratory learning settings to be eligible to work under the direct supervision of a dentist in a four-week externship.

Cost of Attendance (COA) 26-27

Cost of Attendance (COA) is a total of all the usual expenses of being a student. The COA sets the maximum amount of financial aid a student can receive.

Based on Wisconsin Residents.

Approximate school costs are for a full-time (12 credit) student over a semester span of 17 weeks.

Fees are legislated by the Wisconsin Technical College System Board.

These costs are estimates and are subject to change without notice.

Admission Requirements

• Submit Application

Academic Preparedness Requirements

Before you can be fully accepted into your program, you need to complete the requirements below. These are the same requirements you may see in your SWTC Student Portal.


• Submit Official High School, College, Military Transcripts, and Test Scores
  Have documents sent directly to:
  • Email: admissions@swtc.edu
  • Mail: Southwest Wisconsin Technical College, Attn: Admissions, 1800 Bronson Blvd, Fennimore, WI 53809
• Meet with Your Advisor for an Admissions Meeting
  Schedule an admission meeting with your program advisor to complete your student success plan, including a career assessment and academic map and support plan.
  
  To schedule your meeting, go to the Appointments page. Find your advisor in the list, then select Make an Appointment under their contact information.
  
  Appointments are available on campus or virtually.

If you want to check which of these requirements you still need to complete, log in to your SWTC Student Portal, go to My Profile → Document Center, and make sure All Programs is selected.

Additional Health Requirements

Prior to July 1^st of your Fall semester, each student will need to complete and submit the Health Requirements listed below to be able to participate in their clinical rotation experience.

• Complete Background Information Disclosure on MySWTC.
• Physical Examination Form
• TB skin testing form
• Immunization Fact Sheet
• Current BLS for Healthcare providers CPR certification (Courses must include CPR, and a hands-on exam must be taken.)

Helpful Academic Background

• Basic Education course in writing
• Reading comprehension skills
• Basic math skills

Program Fees

• This program is eligible for Financial Aid.
• Estimated cost for each semester can be found under the Curriculum tab. Please note that costs are approximate and are based on the current academic year.
• Please discuss additional fee questions with the program advisor or instructor.

Program Outcomes

At the completion of the program, students are expected to be able to:

• Collect diagnostic and treatment data.
• Manage infection and hazard control.
• Perform clinical supportive treatment.
• Take diagnostic radiographs.
• Perform dental laboratory procedures.
• Provide patient oral health instructions.
• Assist in managing medical emergencies.
• Model professional behaviors, ethics and appearance.
• Perform coronal polishing on patients.

This course provides a strong foundation in basic dental assisting. There are job openings for dental assistants in Southwest Wisconsin. More job opportunities are available for graduates willing to relocate to urban areas.

• Receptionist: Works at the front desk and processes invoices, accounts, appointments, and greets patients
• Chair-side Assistant: Assists the dentist with patient care
• Hygiene Instructor: Instructs patients in proper hygiene and tooth care
• Laboratory Assistant: Performs laboratory functions while observing safety
• Hygiene Assistant: Assists the hygienist with tasks
• Dental Sales Representative
• Dental Treatment Coordinator

Southwest Tech's Career Services Center offers services to assist students looking for job placement.

Credit for Prior Learning

Experience Pays! You've Been There... You've Done That... Let's See If You Can Get Credit For It!

Credit for prior learning gives you opportunities to earn credit for college-level knowledge that you have already acquired. This may be the result of work or volunteer experiences, certifications, apprenticeships, military training, extensive self-instruction, or professional development. Credit for Prior Learning affords you the opportunity to accelerate the completion of your educational goals.

For more information on Credit for Prior Learning see our Credit for Prior Learning page.

Dental Assistant Courses that may have Credit for Prior Learning options:

Course #	Course Title	Challenge Exam (Demonstration)	Challenge Exam (Standard)	CLEP	Credential	Portfolio
10-508-101	Dental Health Safety
	WTCS Aligned PLA 4.4.25
31-508-304	Dental & General Anatomy
	WTCS Aligned PLA 4.4.25