Chairside Dental Assistant

Designed to equip students with essential skills and knowledge for a successful career in dental assisting. Our comprehensive curriculum covers a range of foundational and advanced topics, ensuring our graduates are well-prepared for the dynamic field of dental healthcare.

With opportunities for practical experience and networking within the field, our program paves the way for a fulfilling career in healthcare.

Program Highlights
Duration 560 hours, 26 weeks (plus 2 for breaks and holidays), 6 months This includes 80 hours of work experience.
Curriculum
  • Typing Skill Building Level 1 (10 WPM)
  • Typing Skill Building Level 2 (25 WPM)
  • Financial Awareness and Success
  • Diversity & Inclusion in Professional Practice
  • Microsoft Word 365 Essentials
  • PowerPoint 365 Essentials
  • Job Search and Resume Writing
  • Fundamentals of Dental Sciences
  • Dental Infection Prevention and Control and Safe Practices
  • Standard First Aid with CPR Level C Training
  • Dental Emergency Procedures
  • Dental Records Management
  • Dental Assisting Foundation Theory
  • Dental Assisting Foundation Clinical Practice
  • Practicum for Chairside Dental Assistant
Certification Certificate
Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code 51.0601 - Dental Assisting/Assistant
Compliance Chairside Dental Assistant was reviewed and approved by the registrar of The Private Training Institutions Regulatory Unit (PTIRU) within the System Integrity Branch (SIB) of the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills
Completion of the Chairside Dental Assistant program offered by Ascentia Career Institute does not qualify graduates to apply for certification with the BC College of Oral Health Professionals (BCCOHP) as a Certified Dental Assistant in BC, nor registration with other provincial dental assisting regulatory authorities. Graduates are also not eligible to write the National Dental Assisting Examining Board (NDAEB). For more information about the requirements to become a certified dental assistant, visit the BCCOHP and NDAEB websites.
Average Salary $53,204
BC Job Openings, 2023-2033 1,620

Admissions Requirements
  • All candidates must meet with an admissions advisor before enrollment.
  • Candidates must provide ALL of the following supporting evidence prior to acceptance:

    Age Requirements

    • Be a mature student (minimum 19 years of age) OR a Grade 12 graduate (parent/guardian consent required if under 19 years of age)

    Language Proficiency Requirements

    • Candidates must provide ONE of the following:
      • Evidence of three years of full-time secondary instruction (Grade 8–12 or BC Adult Graduation Program) in English OR two years of full-time post-secondary education at a recognized institution listed under Approved English Speaking Countries.
        (see here)

        Approved English Speaking Countries 1

        American Samoa
        Anguilla
        Antigua & Barbuda
        Australia
        Bahamas
        Barbados
        Bermuda
        Belize
        Botswana
        British Virgin Islands
        Canada (including Quebec)
        Cayman Islands
        Dominica
        Falkland Islands
        Fiji
        Gambia
        Ghana
        Gibraltar
        Grenada
        Guam
        Guyana
        Ireland
        Jamaica
        Kenya
        Lesotho
        Liberia
        Malta
        Mauritius
        Montserrat
        New Zealand
        Nigeria
        Seychelles
        Sierra Leone
        Singapore
        South Africa
        St. Helena
        St. Kitts & Nevis
        St. Lucia
        St. Vincent & the Grenadines
        Trinidad & Tobago
        Tanzania
        Turks & Caicos Islands
        Uganda
        United Kingdom
        USA
        US Virgin Islands
        Zambia
        Zimbabwe
        1This list follows the Countries that satisfy the English language admission standard for the University of British Columbia (UBC). In cases where there is a disparity between the linked page and our site/the printed text, precedence shall be given to the information on the UBC website.
        Language courses, such as English as a Second Language (ESL), cannot be considered in this calculation.
      • Evidence of achievement in a recognized standardized language test or assessment at an overall level equivalent to IELTS 5.5 (Academic) or higher, such as:
        • Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) iBT: Overall score of 46
        • Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP): Listening 6, Speaking 6, Reading 5, Writing 5
        • Canadian Academic English Language Assessment (CAEL): Overall score of 40
        • Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE-A): Overall score of 43
        • Duolingo English Test (DET): Minimum overall score of 95
        • Cambridge Linguaskill, LANGUAGECERT Academic, The Michigan English Test (MET): Minimum overall B2 level
        • iTEP Academic: Minimum overall score of 3.5
        • EIKEN: Minimum placement of Grade Pre-1

    Background and Health Requirements

    • Clear criminal record check
    • Immunizations in the following are strongly recommended and may be required for clinical placement in the program:
      • 2 doses of COVID vaccine
      • Influenza (required annually)
      • Pertusiss
      • Diphtheria
      • Tetanus
      • Polio
      • Measles/Mumps/Rubella
      • Chicken Pox
      • Hepatitis B

Tuition and Fees
Tuition $9572
Application Fee $250
Administrative Fees $110
Textbooks $300
Uniform $140
Consumables $1385
Total Tuition and Fees $11757
Payment Plan Options:
  • 6 interest-free monthly payments of $ 1,960 each
  • Student Loans and alternate funding available for those who qualify.